Rose and Scorpius: A Forbidden Love
by HP-Forever-XX
Summary: Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy could never be together. Their families despise eachother - A Weasley and a Malfoy together is unheard of! So what happens when the two fall in love? How will the families react and how will the two young lovers handle the situation? Enjoy and please review!
1. The Warning

**Chapter 1 – The Warning**

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_**Author's Note: **Thank you for choosing to read my fanfiction, I really hope you enjoy it :D The two main characters are Rose Weasley (The daughter of Ron and Hermione) and Scorpius Malfoy (The son of Draco and his wife Astoria) and it's all about their relationship throughout their years at Hogwarts. My story begins in the Malfoys house in June 2017 - the summer before Rose and Scorpius start Hogwarts, which is the year the 19 years later epilogue in Deathly Hallows is set. Throughout the story, as JK hasn't really revealed much about the nest generation, I've had to make a lot of OC's but I hope you'll enjoy the story and please review - I'd love to hear what you think :) Enjoy!_

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It was a wet and dreary day, which was odd considering it was June, but weather in England was always unpredictable. Astoria Malfoy hurried into her house with the hood of her cloak pulled firmly over her head in a feeble attempt to protect herself from the weather. She slammed the door behind her in fury, startling her husband who had been sat reading the daily prophet.

"Everything alright dear?" Draco asked, noticing the anger in his wife's motions. She said nothing; just scowled, and made herself busy by shooting a jet of flames at the previously fireless fireplace. As she began pacing up and down by the fire, Draco set the newspaper down on a side table and came to stand by her side. "What's that old bat said now?" he asked, referring to the weekly seer that his wife had just returned from visiting. "Predicted another one of our deaths has she?" he teased her. If looks could kill then Draco Malfoy would have received a thousand jagged daggers to his heart.

"This isn't funny" she hissed at him. "It's about Scorpius." Draco's teasing smile fell immediately. He was very protective of his son, even though he thought the seer's prophecies were a load of nonsense. He wanted to give his son the security and love Draco felt he'd lacked from his own father. He guided her to the nearest armchair and sat her down softly, before sitting opposite her, with a deep look of concern on his face.  
"I know you think Madame Pompinelle talks a load of rubbish, but I've been seeing this woman for years, and even when she's been wrong in the past, I trust what she has to say. And I don't care what you think, this time I feel we should heed her warning" she told him with narrowed eyes.

"Warning?" Draco asked nervously.

Astoria nodded curtly. _"Beware your son's safety, or else danger will unfurl – Beware of the flower from a Weasley girl"_ she recited.

The name made Draco flinch. "Flower of a Weasley girl? Meaning..."

"Rose Weasley" Astoria finished for him. She leant back, looking slightly smug for some unknown reason.

"Are you certain? I mean, it's just - "

"Of course I'm certain!" she snapped viciously. "The Weasleys have always been the sworn enemies of the Malfoys, or did that little detail slip your mind?" she demanded threateningly. "That lousy piece of rubbish, Ron Weasley, married the mudblood girl whom is now known as Hermione _Weasley_. Their eldest, and only daughter is named Rose – it was all over the prophet, _remember_? Who else could it possibly be referring to? There are no other Weasley children with a flower for a name – it's obvious!" she shrieked at him.

Draco mulled this over in his mind, before answering in a much calmer voice than his wife had. "Lily Potter?" he suggested.

She scowled. "Don't be a fool Draco! Lily is a Potter, not a Weasley!" she spat the name as though it represented vermin.

"Well, if you think about it, Lily comes from Ginny _Weasley_, and Rose comes from Hermione _Granger_" he explained in the same calm tone.

Astoria hesitated for a moment, her mind whirring in a desperate attempt to prove that this theory was wrong, and she was correct. "That's ridiculous! You don't always have to make everything so difficult you know. It's obviously referring to Rose Weasley, and you know that!" she accused. Draco sighed, not wanting to contradict his wife further.

"Well if you're certain..." he said meekly.

"Of course I'm certain" she snapped. "She's starting Hogwarts this year, as well as Scorpius, and also that Potter boy, Albus. We must immediately warn Scorpius to stay away from those horrid brats – who knows what dangers they will bring to him and to _us_ as well."

"Look Tori, I think you're over exaggerating" Draco said in an attempt to calm her down. She glared at him with the same deathly stare. He sighed. "Alright _Astoria_, I just don't want my son to feel like he has enemies before he's even started school. I want him to be able to make his own friends and choose them whoever they may be, even if that includes becoming friends with this Weasley girl or the Potter boy" he finished in a quiet voice.

"How very touching" she sneered sarcastically. "I expect you also want him to become best friends with all the house-elves and squibs, do you?" she mocked.

Draco could no longer meet his wife's gaze. "I'd be careful about what you say Astoria. Times have changed, and there are laws and serious consequences for crimes of inequality between magical beings. Squibs and muggle-borns are no different to purebloods in the eyes of the law now, and as for slavery of house-elves..." he trailed off, acknowledging Astoria's stony expression.

"I am perfectly aware, thank you Draco. I know of these new laws, no thanks to that mudblood Hermione..." she muttered under her breath as Draco shot her a warning look. "We will warn Scorpius immediately of the dangers that this girl poses" she said with authority, rising from the arm chair, and watching the fire flicker and dance intently.

"And what are the dangers she poses, exactly?" Draco questioned.

"_Beware your son's safety, or else danger will unfurl – Beware of the flower from a Weasley girl" _Astoria repeated, avoiding the question. She continued to stare deeply into the fire. He sighed to himself, knowing that he had lost this battle with her, and that his son would enter Hogwarts with readily appointed enemies.

For the next two months, the message was drilled loud and clear into Scorpius' mind – Do whatever you must to avoid contact with Rose Weasley. No explanation was given to the curious boy, only the repeated warning from his mother, much more frequently than his father. He never asked why, he just accepted it. For whatever reasons, unknown to him, Rose Weasley was danger.


	2. The Sorting Ceremony

**Chapter 2 – The Sorting Ceremony**

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_**Author's Note:** Just to let you know, I decided to make Neville the head of Gryffindor house and the deputy head :)_

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**_1st September 2017_**

The first years filtered into the corridor leading to the Great Hall in Hogwarts, Albus Potter, Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy amongst them. Having just been accompanied across the lake by an absolutely huge man, they were now greeted by a much more human sized man, in smart black robes. He was tall and freshly shaven, and an old family friend of Rose and Albus.

"Good evening, first years" Professor Longbottom greeted the students. He had a very friendly and calming tone to his voice. As Professor Longbottom welcomed them and explained the process of sorting, Albus shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another next to Rose. Rose squeezed his hand reassuringly, knowing just how petrified he was at the thought of being in Slytherin.  
She herself, was fascinated by the process and repeatedly assured herself that she would be thrilled, whatever house she was placed in – after all, just being at Hogwarts was a dream come true. She stared round the corridor, noting each face and trying to familiarise herself with each student. Scorpius Malfoy was watching Rose very precisely and immediately ducked out of sight at the back of the group. He dreaded the thought of them being in the same house; that would make avoiding her a near on impossible task.

Eventually, they were herded inside, every student gawping at the wonder of the Hogwarts Great Hall. Rose had been told a lot about Hogwarts by her parents and her older cousin James, and all her other aunts, uncles and cousins as well. She'd also read most of 'Hogwarts a History' already, but the first sight of the Great Hall was simply breathtaking. This was the moment when the realisation that she really was a witch and that magic was real, sunk in.  
She took a good look at the staff table, trying to figure out who was who from what various family members had told her. Right in the centre of the long table, sat a witch with the look of someone very important. Rose recognised her instantly as the fairly new headmistress of Hogwarts – Melinda Bobbin. She had been a Slytherin in the year below her parents – her Auntie Ginny's year, and was the youngest head teacher that the school had ever known. Due to her fascination with Hogwarts, Rose had done a lot of research beforehand on Professor Bobbin. There had been a huge article in the Daily Prophet when the announcement was made that she was to be the headmistress and she'd queried Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister of Magic, as he occasionally visited her parents on business.

_Daily Prophet 2003:  
__After five years since the death of Lord Voldemort, Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry has recruited a new headmistress. The former headmistress, Minerva McGonagall, expressed that she felt she was much too old and exhausted to continue running the school after the Battle of Hogwarts, May 2__nd__ 1998, however due to the inability to find a suitable replacement, she has continued the role for a further five years with the promise that she will be replaced immediately. It seems immediately has only just occurred. Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, informed the ministry that he had personally selected a new headmistress after committing himself to apparently five years of research into who the perfect replacement would be.  
He said "The subject of the new head at Hogwarts was a quest I decided to pursue myself. I wanted somebody who was very wise and authoritative but also somebody that the kids could trust and bond with... Someone respectful but fun... A natural leader, but also a friend. And I wanted somebody completely new – Not a professor at Hogwarts or somebody well known to the wizarding community – somebody fresh and new and exciting. So I took it upon myself to find this young man or woman, but no such luck was had. In fact, it was quite an accident when I stumbled upon Miss Bobbin. I was purchasing from her family apothecary and after a pleasant conversation, realised she was the ideal Hogwarts headmistress."_

_Melinda Adrienne-Lynnette Bobbin, 22, was a Slytherin student when she attended Hogwarts, and achieved Os in all of her OWLs and NEWTs. She was in the school year below famous auror Harry Potter, and was notably a member of Horace Slughorn's 'Slug Club'. A pureblood witch with two younger sisters, Mae and Emilie, Melinda is the heir to the Bobbin apothecary fortune and majors in Astronomy, Arithmancy and Potions. Many people are eager to see how well she will handle the position and whether Shacklebolt's new approach will be a triumphant success, or a miserable failure. The wizarding community is currently split. Although many agree that this new approach will be successful and wish Bobbin good luck, others feel that she is simply too young to be running a school full of roughly 1000 new witches and wizards. Quite a few people have expressed the desire for Harry Potter, also aged 22, to run the school due to his unbelievable talent and skill in wizardry and many notable successes in magic which are simply too many to list here. He, however, has explained that he simply doesn't have the patience and dedication to becoming a professor and wishes to continue his work as an auror and start a family with his new wife, Ginevra Weasley._

_Shacklebolt told us that it took a lot of convincing from himself, and consideration on her part but she accepted the position approximately a month after they met, and the two have been working closely since then, along with Headmistress McGonagall, to discuss the future of Hogwarts. Miss Bobbin, we wish you Good Luck._

Rose had been given the article by Kingsley and since then, the wizarding world had come to the conclusion that Professor Bobbin was in fact, a very successful and deserving headmistress. Rose looked up at her now. She was very pretty, with long, dark wavy hair and was very well dressed in deep emerald green dress robes. She looked very at home in the headmaster's chair and was observing the new first years, eagerly awaiting the sorting.

The sorting was reasonably quick and exactly how she expected it to be. She paid no attention to anybody else's sorting, suddenly overcome with nerves. As it was done in alphabetical order, Rose was almost the last person to be sorted which made the tension and nervousness she felt, increase dramatically. "It doesn't matter where you go" she assured herself. Her parents had been in Gryffindor, Teddy Lupin had been in Hufflepuff, her parents' friend Luna had been in Ravenclaw and Professor Bobbin had been in Slytherin. This proved that any respectful wizard could come from any house so really, she shouldn't be feeling too nervous, she continued to convince herself.  
She was so deep in thought that she almost missed Albus getting sorted into Gryffindor. He looked extremely relieved and overjoyed as he hurried over to take a seat next to James, who was cheering enthusiastically and thumping him on the back. When her name was called by Professor Longbottom, Rose took a deep breath and shakily walked to the stool at the front of the hall. Albus gave her a reassuring look, as did Neville as he placed the sorting hat onto her head.

"A Weasley!" the hat exclaimed. "But Ahh yes, you certainly have your mother's brains. Hmm, to me it seems you'd succeed in any house I were to put you in" it continued. Rose was grasping the sides of the stool so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. She peered underneath the hat's brim at each table, imagining herself in each house. The hat waited patiently before telling her "You seem undecided, so I feel you would thrive best where generations of your family have. You have wisdom, courage, loyalty and ambition but for you Rose Weasley, you shall be in... GRYFFINDOR!" it bellowed the final word to the rest of the hall, and was met with a thunderous applause.

From the other side of the hall, Scorpius Malfoy clapped just as loudly as the others. He was relieved that Rose had been placed in Gryffindor and him in Slytherin. His mother would be thrilled; he knew that his parents and grandparents would be very happy with the news that he was in the house they had all been in, but his mother would be even more pleased with the news that both Rose and Albus were not.

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_**Author's Note:** As Jk hasn't confirmed who the new headteacher of Hogwarts was, I thoroughly enjoyed choosing who I thought would be suitable. Melinda Bobbin is actually a real character in the Harry Potter series! She's on page 220 (in the UK edition) of Half-Blood Princeas a student in the slug club, and other than that and that her family owns a large chain of apothecaries, that is all we know of her. Which is why it was fun to write about her :) And the reason I chose this character in particular is because my name is Melinda too, and I thought it was awesome that there was a character which shared my name! So yeah, anyway just incase you were wondering... Thank you, please review xx_


	3. Fellow Gryffindors

**Chapter 3 – Fellow Gryffindors**

As soon as Rose rushed down from the stool to sit next to Albus at the Gryffindor table, a hand was thrust across the table right under her nose. The owner of the hand was a good looking boy with floppy brown hair. She recalled noting his face before entering the Great hall. She felt a pang of guilt as she remembered subconsciously placing him in Hufflepuff in her mind.

"Samuel Tyler" he gushed, beaming from ear to ear. Rose was slightly startled by the immediate friendliness of this boy. "Call me Sam though" he told her as she hesitantly grasped his hand with her own and shook it.

"Err Rose Weasley" she replied. He continued grinning.

"That's a very pretty name Rose" he told her. She blushed, still in bewilderment. Albus and James congratulated her, and James began introducing various older Gryffindors who were sat close by.

"And this here" he said indicating to the boy sat on his right, "is Mason Hart – My partner in crime" James explained with a mischievous grin. Mason nodded politely at Rose and she smiled at him in response.

Then Professor Bobbin stood up, and the hall fell silent. She took her place at the golden lectern where everybody could see her clearly. For a moment there was silence, as she scanned the room with her eyes.  
"Good evening students" she greeted them. "Welcome to all our new students, and welcome back to all our old students. I have nothing to else to say besides, Enjoy" and as she stepped down from the lectern, there was a collective gasp from the first years as the most delightful feast appeared on the tables before their very eyes. Throughout the devouring of the feast, the boy Sam excitedly told Rose his family history. She listened politely.

"I'm a half blood" he told her between mouthfuls. "My mum's a muggle but my Dad was a wizard. I can't remember him though... he died when I was younger you see." He swallowed the stubborn piece of chicken he'd just shoved in his mouth, before continuing. Rose found it rather disgusting watching him eat. "She remarried though. And now I've got two younger twin half-brothers, and an older step-brother and an older step-sister. But I'm the only magical one" he told her smugly.

Rose felt it was only polite to tell him her family history. "Well, I've only got one younger brother, he's called Hugo. But a lot of my cousins are – " Sam swatted a chicken smeared hand at her.

"Everybody knows about your family Rose" he interrupted rather rudely. She blushed, wishing she didn't have quite such a famous family.

After the feast they were escorted to the Gryffindor common room by a prefect. They were informed about how life at Hogwarts worked, but Rose already knew it all off by heart. Finally they were dismissed to go to bed and Rose hurried upstairs, keen to see her bedroom for the next 7 years, and meet her roommates. "Goodnight Rose" Sam called cheerily. She bid him goodnight as well, so as not to seem rude but she was slightly irritated that he wouldn't leave her alone. After spending the evening entirely with boys she was keen for some girl time.

Rose crept up the stairs to the girls rooms, eager to meet the girls she would be spending the next seven years with, but also a little nervous at meeting her fellow roommates. Taking a deep breath she walked through the door of the room she'd been allocated. She knew she was in the right room as she immediately spotted her trunk, lying at the foot of a four poster bed. As she entered the room she noticed two other girls who had been conversing. They whipped their heads towards her immediately.

"H-hi. I'm Rose. Rose Weasley" she told them politely, trying her best to keep calm and make a good first impression. One of the girls stood up. She was shorter than Rose and had masses of straight brown hair, pulled into two bunches by her ears. She had a rounded face and a pair of oversized square glasses perched on her nose.

"Taylor McAdams, pureblood, and the youngest living descendant of Merlin himself" she said proudly, extending a firm hand. Rose grasped it, a little bewildered. What was it with everybody telling her all this information about them?

"You're descended from _Merlin_?" she asked, shocked.

Taylor shrugged. "Who's to say?"

Rose smiled, slightly confused but thinking to herself that this girl was going to be a good roommate, and a good friend. The second girl stood up to greet Rose. She was much taller than the two of them and had pretty, dark skin. Her hair fell in stiff black waves down to her shoulders and she had a certain athletic but feminine look about her.

"I'm Gwendolyn Jones. But call me Gwen" she announced with a smile. Rose calmed down a bit, pleased that they both seemed so nice.

"So... Is this all of us?" she asked curiously. Gwen shrugged, walking over to unpack her trunk.

"I think there's one more" she said. At that exact moment, the door to their room was flung open to reveal a fourth girl. She had done the best to customise her uniform in all ways possible – her black robes were worn loosely, with the sleeves rolled up casually, and open to reveal the customary white blouse and a skirt that appeared to have been rolled up at the waist so much that the hem had crept up to her mid-thighs, rather than the knee where everybody else's hung.  
Her blonde hair was pulled messily into a bun, revealing two large golden hoops dangling from her ears, and her new Gryffindor tie was draped over her shoulders carelessly, rather than around her neck. She stood in the doorway for a moment, surveying the room over the top of her sunglasses. Why she was wearing sunglasses, inside, at night, Rose didn't understand in the slightest. After a long and awkward silence, in which the blonde girl glared at each of her roommates in turn, she let out a long and obvious sigh before closing the door and removing her sunglasses. Rose actually took a step back in shock. The girl's eyelids were covered in a shimmery blue substance and her eyelashes were caked in a thick black paste. In her eleven years, Rose had never seen something so odd. She'd never experienced these kinds of facial potions before.

"_Oh God_" the girl scoffed as she strode across the room to a rather disturbingly pink trunk. "A black chick, a ginger, and a pug!" she said to herself, rather loudly. Rose resisted the urge to laugh, as Taylor really did resemble a pug a little bit, but she was so furious at this girl's rudeness that she simply glared, not sure how to respond. Taylor's mouth was hanging open in shock, but Gwen had fire in her eyes as she slammed the lid of her trunk closed.

"Excuse me!?" she shouted, marching across the room with her hands on her hips. The blonde girl blinked her strange, blue eyes innocently, and a smirk formed on her face. Gwen was very frightening and towered over the girl aggressively, but she seemed to find the situation amusing.

"I don't belong here, in this _stupid_ school, with _you _people" she told her plainly. "I have very important parents and I'm going to be famous, ok? I _don't _want to be here in this... this... boarding school for freaks and weirdos, I _don't _want to share a room with people like you, and I most certainly _don't _want to make friends here. So what I suggest is you keep out of my face and stay away from me for as long as it takes until I can ditch this dump and get back to my real life."

Rose was shocked at this outburst. How could anybody not want to be in Hogwarts? Surely this was every person's dream! It was certainly hers.

"Look, Blondie" Gwen said, jabbing her finger at the girl. "I don't know what your problem is with Hogwarts, or me, or anybody in this room, but you have no right to come in here and insult us like that. If you don't like it here, then it's your problem, but some of us feel privileged to be here and we actually care about getting our magical education, and I'll be damned if you're gonna screw that up for us! Understand?" she demanded.

"Oh please" she said screwing up her face. "This magic thing is a joke. I have normal parents and a normal life, and once they hear that I have to share a room with people like you, who threaten me like that, then they'll bring me home immediately." She tossed her head, so that her fringe swept across her face, almost touching Gwen's nose. She turned away with a sense of finality, but Gwen was by no means finished with the conversation.

"What's your name?" she demanded, rather than carrying on with the previous argument. The girl looked irritated as she turned back to glare at Gwen.

"What's it matter to you?" she sneered. "I don't plan on staying long." Gwen said nothing – she simply stared at her with a stony expression until the girl let out an exaggerated sigh. "If you must know, then fine. Janey Davington. And yes, that's Davington as in Davington's computer co. I'm treated like royalty back in the real world. I'm sure none of you have seen a decent penny in your life."

She was met with three blank expressions. Rose broke the silence, speaking for the first time since Janey had entered the room. "I'm not sure what a penny is... nor a computer... but, being muggle born you probably haven't heard of me. My name's Rose Weasley and my family is actually quite wealthy... but I'm really looking forward to spending my time at Hogwarts with you" she said with a forced smile and what she hoped was a friendly tone of voice. Janey stared at Rose for a while, particularly wrinkling her nose at her hair colour. Rose felt slightly self-conscious.

"That's a lie sweetie and you and I both know it" she told her patronisingly. "You already can't stand me so what's the point of pretending?"

Rose blushed. She didn't want to fall out with this girl on the first day, knowing she would have to share a room with her for her entire life at Hogwarts. So instead she ignored Janey's last comment, and continued in the same friendly voice. "Err this is Gwen Jones and Taylor McAdams" she said, indicating to the two other girls. Janey didn't look interested in the slightest.

"I really don't care" she confessed truthfully. "Like I said, I'm out of here as soon as I can" she said with a shrug. Gwen walked back over to her trunk to finish unpacking, after being silent throughout Rose's attempt to make peace. At the last moment she turned her head back at Janey who was now filing her nails.

"Any other offensive and racist comments and I swear I'll tell Professor Longbottom", she threatened with authority.

Janey looked up eagerly, tossing her nail file to one side. "Professor Longbottom" she said thoughtfully. "Now there's a good reason to stay."

Taylor looked appalled, finally snapping out of the shocked trance she'd been in since Janey's arrival. "What do you mean?" she demanded with narrowed eyes.

Janey shrugged. Rose had noticed that she seemed to do this a lot, and didn't think her careless attitude would go down too well with the teachers when they started lessons. "He's kinda hot for a teacher"

Rose was outraged. "He has a wife, you know" she informed her, her mind wandering back to days when Neville and his wife had come to lunch round their house.

"That doesn't mean he can't be hot" Janey pointed out. The three other girls were very angry now, but Taylor was absolutely fuming.

"He's hardly going to be interested in some stupid, young schoolgirl like you" she yelled. She looked absolutely deranged, with her glasses slipping down at an angle.

"Seems like somebody has a crush" Janey taunted. Taylor blushed, turning away hurriedly.

"I just don't think it's appropriate to talk about a teacher like that. He's like three times our age or something."

"Whatever" Janey said with finality, ending the conversation. The four girls dressed in silence and climbed into their beds.

"Goodnight Gryffin-Girls" Janey said fondly in the darkness. Nobody else spoke a word – Rose was deep in thought. This remark made her seem like the four of them could all be good friends, a sort of friendship group, like her parents and Uncle Harry had been. But she remembered her horrid insults to the three of them, and her unsubtle displeasure of being at Hogwarts. Rose concluded that this was going to be an interesting seven years...

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_**Author's Note: **I apologise for all the OC's, but I hope you like them throughout the story :) Mason is supposed to be like Sirius, hence why he's James' best friend, and I imagined Gwen to be sort of like Angelina Johnson. Other than that, the others are all completely original, and that's all I really have to say!_


	4. Potions Class

**Chapter 4 – Potions Class**

The next day was certainly very awkward. All of the first years were extremely nervous about starting lessons, but Rose was more worried about her roommates. Hardly any words had been spoken between the four girls other than a few friendly 'Good Mornings' and tensions were high. Gwen seemed very tight-lipped and solemn, particularly towards Janey. However, Janey was in a completely different mood to the one she'd displayed last night. She bobbed around with enthusiasm, smiling cheerily at other students and acting like she adored Hogwarts. She told a few startled listeners that she'd cornered, about her life in the muggle world and how famous and rich her family supposedly was.

"I've done a few modelling jobs" she boasted to a terrified looking boy. "They love me over there. I'm like a princess – real royalty when it comes to beauty and talent. Did you know I can sing? I can dance as well, and act. I'm gonna be in movies and stuff you see. Do you have movies where you're from?" she baffled on and on for ages until her victim escaped or she was distracted by something else. She grabbed every opportunity to gloat about her talent and all the famous muggles she had apparently met to anybody who wasn't quick enough to escape her, or was stupid enough to talk to her.

Rose watched angrily. Nobody was going to ruin her time at Hogwarts and she was determined that she could learn to accept Janey and find the positives in her personality. After a moment of deep thinking, she found none, and proceeded to ignore her. Taylor had a similarly angry expression constantly on her face throughout the morning.

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Meanwhile, over in the Slytherin common room, Scorpius was having no difficulty with his roommates. They were all decent, respectable, likeable people and Scorpius fit in well with the Slytherins. A few people glanced at him nervously, their eyes brimming with respect for him. Scorpius assumed this was due to his well-known family name. His father was high up in the ministry, as was his grandfather, and his mother was a very social and honourable witch.  
The thing that scared him most though, wasn't acceptance and making friends, but was the thought of staying away from the Weasley girl. He did not want to contradict his mother's demands, but how could he possibly make sure he was unknown and undetected by this girl. The difficulty of the situation finally sunk in when their lessons began. From what Scorpius had been told about her mother, Rose was exactly like her. She had clearly done her research on each subject and attempted to answer every question the teachers threw at them with so much energy and enthusiasm that he thought she would explode.  
She became subtly popular rather quickly. Everywhere he went, he would catch snippets of conversations about how likeable and friendly this girl was. Everybody knew and liked her, and in return she met and remembered people at a fast rate. It was only a matter of time before they would surely bump into each other.

After his first week of Hogwarts, Scorpius decided to write to his parents informing them of his progress at school and the friends he'd made. He clambered down the stairs from the owlery in search for his next lesson which happened to be potions, but he was struck with panic as he wandered the halls, unsure of what classroom he was supposed to be in. He'd never been late to a lesson, what was he supposed to do? Should he just pretend to be ill and go to the hospital wing, or continue wandering the deserted corridors? He barely had time to weigh out his options before Professor Bobbin walked briskly round the corner, accompanying a small Gryffindor boy with untidy black hair.

"Ahh, Mr Malfoy" she said fondly, noticing Scorpius standing there awkwardly, looking like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a car. She didn't seem angry in the slightest; she actually seemed very calm and positive, as though finding first years standing around in corridors between lessons was perfectly normal in her daily routine. Not sure how to respond, Scorpius instead looked at the other boy. Now he was closer, Scorpius recognised him immediately. It was Albus Potter.

"I was just escorting Mr Potter to his Potions class. I believe you're in that same class, are you not, Scorpius?"

Scorpius nodded, embarrassed. "I err, got lost. I'm sorry Professor" he said with a gulp. She smiled at him sympathetically.

"That's not a problem. I'm sure professor Pocknoll will be delighted to see you" she said guiding them in the direction of the dungeons. They two boys walked either side in silence as Professor Bobbin absentmindedly hummed a tune to herself. Scorpius assumed professor Pocknoll was the potions master. He prayed that Professor Bobbin was right and he would be pleased to see them.

As they approached the dungeons it turned out that professor Pocknoll was in fact a woman, and not a man as Scorpius had expected. She seemed slightly irritated at being interrupted in mid flow of describing the wonders of Potions, but when she saw that it was the headmistress she smiled politely, happy to receive a visit. Professor Bobbin apologised for the late arrival of the two boys, explaining that she'd been giving them some guidance on life at Hogwarts. Neither of them said a word, neither confirming nor denying this, but Professor Pocknoll ushered them in and directed them to the only two empty seats that were left – directly behind Rose Weasley.

As Scorpius and Albus took their seats, being gawped at from all directions, Rose turned to face them, accidentally flicking a strand of fire coloured hair into Scorpius' face.

"Oops, sorry" she said looking apologetic and going red. Scorpius ignored her, trying not to make eye contact. "Hey Al" she said, beaming at her cousin.

Scorpius spent the rest of the lesson drumming his quill on the table nervously until Professor Pocknoll announced that they would be attempting to make their first potion – a cure for boils. The only disadvantage was that they would be working in their desk partners. Albus and Scorpius glanced at each other awkwardly when they'd been told this piece of information. It was obvious that both boys were aware of their family history, and the hatred that had occurred between their parents. But they both also knew that communication was vital if they were going to succeed and they would have to put aside their differences and cooperate for the purpose of their first potions lesson.

"I'll err get the ingredients and stuff" Albus said awkwardly.

"Sure" said Scorpius. "I guess I'll start heating the cauldron." He nodded curtly at Albus and he hurried off to the front of the classroom. Rose Weasley took this opportunity to turn around and beam at Scorpius. He dropped his gaze immediately, pretending he hadn't noticed and began jabbing his wand at the cauldron.

"Here, let me help" Rose offered, aiming her wand at the cauldron. A fire sprung up and she smiled delightedly.

"Thanks" Scorpius muttered, not meeting her gaze.

"I'm Rose Weasley by the way" she told him in an irritatingly friendly way. Didn't she see that he was trying to ignore her? He was getting frustrated.

"Great" he responded half-heartedly, deliberately not telling her his own name. He browsed the instructions in his potions book on how to make the potion, but Rose still hadn't given up.

"Do you want me to help? I know the instructions off by heart" She began reciting the exact instructions from the text book, but unable to take it anymore, Scorpius interrupted.

"Thanks, but I think I'll be fine by myself, with Potter- I mean Albus" he corrected. He ignored the hurt expression on Rose's face. She didn't say another word; she merely turned back to her own cauldron with a haughty air to herself. Albus returned with an armful of potions ingredients and they set to work, making little conversation unless necessary. It was only after they'd added the crushed fangs and were leaving the mixture to heat, when Albus interrupted the silence.

"Err Scorpius, is it supposed to make that hissing noise?"

Scorpius was startled by Albus addressing him by his name and then immediately heard the noise Albus was referring to.

"That doesn't sound too good" he said cautiously. "And what is with that smell?" he said wrinkling his nose. The two boys glanced nervously at each other, not sure what had gone wrong.

Albus began stirring the mixture frantically, whilst Scorpius scanned the textbook.

"Wait a second, did we stop heating the mixture after ten seconds?" But before Albus could answer, Professor Pocknoll had noticed the black fumes that were rising from their cauldron.

"DUCK" she shrieked from across the classroom. Without really thinking, Scorpius grabbed Albus' arm and pulled him under their desk, just in time as their cauldron exploded with a thunderous cracking noise and the classroom was coated in a splatter of a thick black substance that smelt suspiciously of cabbage.

"I'm thinking no, we didn't stop heating the mixture after ten seconds" Albus said. And the Potter and the Malfoy laughed together in sync, a Gryffindor and a Slytherin, a combination that had never occurred before. And as Professor Pocknoll made the two boys clean the classroom after she dismissed the rest of the class, a friendship was formed between them.

* * *

After his brief encounter with Rose, Scorpius began to worry. A thought flickered in his mind. It was a dark thought, but a plan no doubt. A plan that would make sure he was never noticed by her. A plan that he was perfectly capable of carrying out. But was it really worth it? He came to a conclusion. And from that day onwards, Rose Weasley never knew who Scorpius Malfoy was.

For three whole years at Hogwarts, the two never encountered each other because of what Scorpius had done - something so dark and sinister that he would undoubtedly regret it later in life...

It wasn't until their fourth year when things changed. That was the year everything got difficult. That was the year they fell in love...


	5. Fourth Year

**Chapter 5 – Fourth Year**

"Feels great to be back doesn't it?" Taylor McAdams asked as her and Rose walked into the Gryffindor Common Room, after the Sorting Ceremony and welcome feast that was traditional for the first day back at Hogwarts.

"It sure does" Rose agreed, getting that bubbly feeling she always did on the first day of school.

"Feels like yesterday when we came in here for the first time..." she said, blinking behind her oversized glasses.

Rose murmured in agreement, reminiscing about that day. It was almost hard to believe that they were now in their fourth year at Hogwarts. They decided to go straight to their room so that the first years could have a chance to look around the common room, without feeling so intimidated by the older students. As they began to make their way over to the spiral staircase, someone from the other side of the room let out a very high-pitched shriek.

"ROSIE! TAY-TAY!"

Before either 'Rosie' or 'Tay-Tay' could respond, a small, cat-like girl with a blonde ponytail bobbing along on top of her head, ran across the room with a stealth like speed and thrust her arms around the two girls in a death grip. It was Janey. She was still the same old Janey she had been in their first year. She still thought the world revolved around her and the most important and talented pupil in the school (and perhaps the world) was her. She still customised her uniform at every opportunity and she still wore obscene amounts of makeup. She still sucked up to the teachers and flirted with all the boys. She still chattered nonstop, mainly about herself and how rich and famous her family were, especially on days like this when she had a brand new audience.

She was exactly the same, but somehow she was now tolerable. The 'Gryffin-Girls' as Janey liked to call them, had had their arguments and their ups and downs. That first year had been a very rocky one. Tempers had been tested and stretched to their limits, regrettable things had been said and done and wild arguments had sprung up very frequently and often at the most inconvenient of times. But once the four girls had learnt that they can't _all _win and get their own way, a silent truce had been formed and they had been friends ever since. It wasn't a perfect friendship, but when does that ever happen? All of them had realised that when you've got to share a room with three other people for the next seven years, sacrifices have to be made and some people, in this case it was a very specific person, have to be tolerated for the sake of their own sanity.

Janey had come to the realisation that she in fact, enjoyed learning magic and never again criticised the abnormalities of life at Hogwarts. She still droned on about all the brand new technology in the muggle world, but she'd learnt to accept what she was and where she belonged. She'd also realised that she had no friends, and the only way she was going to make some was if she turned down the selfishness and insults that she would so frequently hurl at her schoolmates.

"Hey Janey, good summer?" Rose asked once Janey had released them.

"OHMYGOSH – it was awesome!"

Rose immediately regretted asking, as Janey began listing the thousands and thousands of things that she did, people she met, places she went etc. over the summer, without seeming to take a single breath.

"And there was this really cute guy, Josh I think his name was, anyway yeah and I met him at the beach when we were in France and he told me I was beautiful, in French! And y'know I don't even speak French but I could just tell what he was saying..."

"Hang on a second" Taylor managed to interrupt. "Aren't you dating Henry Fontayne?" she asked, slightly confused.

"Who?"

"Taylor's right! You remember – He's the tall Ravenclaw in the year above us" Rose added helpfully.

"Who?"

"He's a prefect now... And the Ravenclaw seeker... He asked you out after they won that match against Hufflepuff, and everybody thought it was really romantic"

"Oh yeah!" she exclaimed, her face lighting up. "I forgot about him – what's his name again? He's kinda boring though... I think I might break up with him tomorrow"

"Unbelievable" Taylor muttered so Janey couldn't hear.

"I'm sorry I didn't sit with you on the train, or at the feast" she apologised, looking genuinely sorry, which wasn't an expression that you saw frequently on Janey's face. "I met this little first year who's a muggle born and she has a laptop from my Daddy's company and she couldn't believe who I was. It's not every day you meet a celebrity like me, after all" That was much more like the Janey they were both used to. "Ooooh there she is now" she said excitedly. She pointed out a small girl with her hair in two plaits within the crowd of first years. "Catch you later guys"

"Wait a second!" Rose grabbed Janey before she ran off to harass the young girl. "Where's Gwen?"

Janey shrugged. "Dunno, haven't seen her"

Rose let go of Janey's arm and she hurried off. She and Taylor looked at each other with confused expressions.

"That's odd. Surely we would have seen her by now"

"I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for her absence" Taylor said hopefully. Rose still wasn't convinced though. "I'm pretty sure I saw her on platform 9 and ¾. You don't think she forgot to catch the train do you?"

"That's very unlikely. She's usually the most punctual out of us all." Rose frowned, but before they could continue their conversation, an overly pleased boy came to greet them. He had grown a lot over the summer and towered over Rose and Taylor. He would have been quite intimidating if he didn't have such a youthful grin plastered to his face. He resembled a very excited puppy.

"Hi Rose!" he said enthusiastically, completing blanking Taylor who now looked quite huffy.

"Err Hi Sam" Rose responded, feeling very small compared to him.

"We should hang out some time. You can tell me all about your summer if you want! Do you wanna study together when we start lessons?" he asked eagerly.

"Sure – sounds fun" Rose lied, with a big, very fake smile.

"We're going to our room now" Taylor said irritably. He looked slightly crestfallen. "Early night" she continued, curtly.

"Sweet dreams" he told Rose sweetly, looking after her in a sickly way, once again, completely ignoring Taylor.

Taylor glared at Rose as she dragged her up the stairs.

"What?" Rose demanded.

"You shouldn't lead him on"

"I don't lead him on – it's not like that! I'm just being polite because he's my _friend_" she protested.

"Oh come on Rose! You're not that stupid. Sam Tyler has had a major crush on you ever since you set foot in this school and you never do anything about it. I say, let him know you're not interested before it goes too far and you end up breaking his heart" she ordered.

"I think you're overreacting" Rose said calmly.

"Oh am I?" Taylor was quite frightening when she was angry, despite her height, which was very short.

"Yes you are. There's nothing going on between Sam and I. Even if he did like me then it wouldn't matter because he knows I don't like him in that way"

"But that's the thing though – He doesn't know that, which is why you've got to tell him. Unless- " she stopped suddenly, confusing Rose.

"Unless what?" Rose urged.

"Unless you _do_ like him"

"Of course I don't!"

"I don't believe you" Taylor said, continuing up the stairs. Rose had often pondered the possibilities when it came to Sam. She had no doubt that he would be a good, loyal boyfriend, but no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't seem to conjure the right kind of feelings for him. They were nothing alike and most of the time Rose just found him highly annoying. But when Taylor had set her mind on some theory about something then she stuck with it until it was proven wrong, and how was Rose supposed to prove this wrong?  
She let out a deep sigh as they reached the door to their dorm room. Rose pushed it open, eager to return to the room that was so welcoming to them now. Her heart gave a nervous jump as she looked into the room to see two people already in there.


	6. The Unexpected Visitor

**Chapter 6 – The unexpected Visitor **

"Gwen!" Rose exclaimed thrusting her arms around her old friend. "Where have you been? We've been looking for you"

Taylor reacted in completely the opposite way. She didn't move from the doorway, standing stiffly with her arms folded. She surveyed the other girl in the room through her large glasses, with her mouth set in a tight line. "Who's she?" she demanded icily.

Gwen didn't hug Rose with the same warmth that she usually did. Her mind was somewhere else and she was nervous about something, Rose could sense this immediately.

"I think I better explain when we're all here" she responded calmly. "Anybody know where Janey is?"

Coincidentally, Janey staggered into the room at that same moment, droning on about how many of the new first years adored her. She stopped suddenly, noticing the other people in the room. "Gwen?" she asked in surprise. "Where the hell have you been? And who's she?" she asked aggressively, narrowing her eyes in the same way that Taylor had. Rose took a step backwards to stand by Janey's side, so she could look at this girl properly. She looked at least a year or so older than the four roommates. She was around the same height as Gwen, who was the tallest of the four and was very slim. She was also extremely pretty, in a very intimidating kind of way. Her hair was a very glossy brown, which fell in stiff curls around her shoulders, her lips were a vivid, blood-red colour and her cheekbones were slanted dramatically. Perhaps the most frightening of all were her eyes. They were a piercing deep blue and she seemed to stare hauntingly through all of them, with a bored expression.

"I think I should explain" Gwen told them, clasping her hands together nervously. "As soon as I got off the Hogwarts Express, Professor Longbottom told me I needed to speak to Professor Bobbin as a matter of urgency. So I was escorted to her before the beginning of the feast. When I spoke to her she told me that we would be having a new roommate if that was alright with the four of us."

Janey began to protest immediately. "Are you kidding me?" she yelled. "Of course we don't want another roommate – that isn't OK with us actually! You can't just waltz into Hogwarts in your fourth year anyway. That's completely against the rules!"

Gwen sighed. "I'm not finished yet." Janey pursed her lips grumpily. Gwen continued in the same level voice. "In Russia, there's been a revolution - A revolution to overthrow the current monarchy. Professor Bobbin explained it all to me. The wizarding community over there are ruled by a king, but some of the wizards, and witches, don't like the certain methods that he uses to rule, or really the _lack _of methods. They've started to think that he's incompetent as a King and isn't helping the magical community in the slightest. There's been an outbreak of dark magic in some areas by wizards trying to restore the old ways, and the people don't think the King is doing anything to protect them or put a stop to it." She took a breath, acknowledging the confused expressions of her friends. "So, they want to replace him, or wipe out the whole idea of a monarch completely, and to do that, they figured the easiest way was to kill the King, and any heirs that would inherit the throne by default. So he and his family were forced to go into hiding and flee the country. He has a wife and a daughter and they all came to Britain, knowing that it was a safe place. And the King decided his daughter needed to be protected with the most reliable security... and we all know what the safest place in Britain is – Hogwarts."

At once, it all made sense. Gwen noticed the look of understanding in their eyes and concluded her story, by motioning to the emotionless girl by her side. "This is the Russian Princess, Evangeline Amberry."

"That doesn't sound very Russian" Janey said spitefully. Rose got the feeling that Janey wanted to be the only royalty around here and felt like her status had been knocked down a peg or two. Evangeline twisted her head round sharply.

"It is an old family name going back through generations of Russian royalty" she told them in a drawling Russian accent.

"So what, she's just going to live in Hogwarts?" Taylor asked.

"Bobbin said she will join in with lessons like a normal student would. But she won't be in our classes, she'll be with the sixth years because she's actually 16 at the moment" Gwen explained.

"Then why is she our roommate?" Rose asked curiously, trying not to sound too hostile or impolite like the others had.

"Every other room is occupied by five people. We only have four in our room and we have a spare bed... There isn't anywhere else to go"

Rose found this hard to believe, as Hogwarts was plenty big enough to have a spare room for one more person. She had a feeling that this was a sly way for Professor Bobbin to make sure that Evangeline got to know some people.

"What about her parents?" Taylor asked. This time Evangeline spoke.

"My father and mother are staying in a hidden location that even I have not been told. They are determined to go back to Russia and fix the situation but for my safety I have been placed here." The way she spoke made it sound like she would rather be in any place other than Hogwarts. "I do not intend to stay long." She sounded exactly like Janey had on her first day at Hogwarts.

Gwen shot them a pleading look and spoke in a low voice. "Professor Bobbin asked me specifically, to make sure we accept her and help her fit into life at Hogwarts. If you mess this up for me then I'll let her down!" she said desperately. Taylor sighed.

"I'm writing to my parents immediately –she's gonna mess up everything!" Janey hissed. Unfortunately, Evangeline seemed to have overheard.

"You don't like me" she stated. "I am not too fond of you either." Janey narrowed her eyes, but Evangeline ignored her. "I will only be in here to sleep and for the rest of the time I will keep far away from you. You are not the kind of girl I want for my friend and I have no intention of getting to know you in the slightest. As soon as this is over I'm going home - back to where I belong." And with that she turned on her heel and stalked off to get ready for bed.

* * *

The next morning, the four girls awoke to find Evangeline's bed empty. Assuming she had already gone down to breakfast they began to discuss this unexpected issue.

"I don't like it either guys, but what else could I do? I couldn't tell Professor Bobbin that we wouldn't let her in with no reason at all, could I?" Gwen told them furiously.

"Well I'm not standing for it. I'm going to Bobbin straight away and demanding that she go somewhere else. Why should we be the one that have to babysit the runaway princess?" Janey sneered.

Rose felt a pang of guilt for Evangeline and didn't contribute to the conversation much. She had gotten used to the way things were between the Gryffin-Girls. They had finally found peace between the four of them and it seemed that adding another stubborn witch to the group would only complicate things and mess up the harmony they had achieved. But acting spiteful and mean to her didn't seem the right way to go about this situation. But there was no use trying to persuade Taylor and Janey once they'd made up their minds about something.

As they went down to the great hall for their first breakfast of the year, Professor Bobbin stepped up to the lectern with Evangeline by her side. As the hall listened in awe, Professor Bobbin recited the same story that Gwen had already told them last night. Everybody was in complete shock, gasping and goggling at the royalty that was stood in their midst.

"And I wish all of you to respect and treat Miss Amberry as if she were one of our own. As a result of her presence at Hogwarts, I thought it would be delightful to hold a ball in which we could welcome her officially. Unfortunately it will only be open to the fourth to seventh years." All the younger children let out groans and protests at this piece of information. "Do not despair, for younger students may attend the ball as a date of an older student. It will be a wonderful opportunity to welcome Evangeline to Hogwarts and make her feel welcome here. This will be a formal occasion and no silly or childish behaviour will be condemned. Due to the abruptness of this situation, your parents will not be aware of what is going on. The staff will see to it that all parents or guardians are contacted and informed of both Evangeline's presence at the school and the upcoming ball.  
Formal wear, such as dress robes are compulsory. The ball will not be held until February so that students will have a suitable amount of time to purchase or acquire suitable clothing to meet the dress code. Either you may acquire some during the Christmas Holidays, or parents will be able to send you some over this period of time. It is an experience I'm sure you will all enjoy and you will be updated nearer the time" she concluded. Immediately the hall broke out into a loud buzz of conversation.

* * *

Over on the Slytherin table, Scorpius was groaning. A ball? How completely lame that sounded to him. Nothing but dancing and people prancing around in frilly outfits... He observed the new Russian princess. She was certainly very pretty, but had an unappealing expression like everything in her life led to misery. Perhaps it did. He glanced over to the Gryffindor table, at his best friend. It was a shame that they weren't in the same house, and his parents had certainly had a difficult time coming to grips with their friendship. Or at least, his mother had.

Albus Potter was gazing at Evangeline longily. Scorpius sighed. If Albus had already developed a crush on her then he would babble on and on about her for hours, and that was something Scorpius really didn't want to endure.

He met up with him straight after the meal was over and sure enough, Albus assured him that he was completely in love with the new girl. Scorpius rolled his eyes and tried to steer the conversation in a different direction, but was unsuccessful. "So this ball sounds kinda lame..." he told Albus half-heartedly. "Do you think it's compulsory to bring dates, and do we seriously have to wear _dress robes_?" he scoffed. Albus went red, as though he had been looking forward to dressing up for the ball.

"Of course we do" he replied seriously. "Didn't you hear Professor Bobbin? Do you think... Do you think it would be crazy to ask Evangeline to the ball?" he asked nervously, as they strolled through one of the corridors.

"I think you might be out of luck, Al" Scorpius told him, indicating to a group of people, causing a blockage in the corridor. Evangeline was surrounded by a great crowd of people. The majority of whom were boys - boys who were much bigger and muscular than Albus, who now had a depressing, disheartening frown on his face.

"Never mind" he muttered miserably, staring down at his shoes. "Who are you thinking of taking?" he asked curiously.

Scorpius pondered this question carefully. He didn't really want to take anyone, the whole concept of the ball seemed stupid, but turning up without a date was just embarrassing – Especially as he was such a popular and high-class student. He was sure he could easily persuade some Slytherin girl to go with him. If it came to the worst then there would be plenty of first to third year girls begging for dates so they could attend the ball.  
Just as he was considering the possibilities, a group of four Gryffindor fourth years hurried past in the opposite direction, but only one caught his eye. A thin, reasonably tall girl, with wild red hair swept past him without a second glance. For a second Scorpius couldn't think who it could possibly be, but suddenly it dawned on him. Rose Weasley had certainly changed a lot since their first year...

"Well?" Albus demanded.

"Hmm?"

"Who are you gonna ask to the ball?"

"Nobody..." Scorpius replied, wrapping his cloak around him protectively as they continued through the corridor.


	7. Finding Dates

**Chapter 7 – Finding Dates**

"So... how about it?"

"How about what, Sam?" Rose asked through gritted teeth. She was trying to do her ancient runes homework. Couldn't he see that she was busy?

"You know..."

"No, I _don't _know, unless you tell me" she snapped, wishing he would just go away.

"You're not seriously going to make me ask, are you?" he asked a little nervously, his eyes darting around the crowded common room.

"Ask what?" she continued with the same irritated tone.

"Oh come on Rose, don't play dumb with me" he said a little hurt. She sighed and slammed the book shut with a resounding thud. She looked him straight in the eyes with what she hoped was an intimidating look. It seemed to have the desired effect, as Sam blinked uneasily, leaning back slightly.

"I haven't a clue what you're talking about Sam and I'm really busy right now. If it's that important then please spit it out, otherwise don't bother" she snarled, hoping her message was loud and clear. He gulped, and got down onto his knees. Her eyes widened as she sat in the armchair, looking down at him. Was he seriously _proposing_?

"Rose Weasley" he said formally. Rose looked round the room, suddenly aware of how many people were watching them. Sam didn't notice, or otherwise ignored her horrified expression. "Will you... be my date to the ball?" She let out the deep breath she had been holding, sinking into the chair a little as she relaxed. A few of the younger girls who had been watching, sighed dreamily, and someone from the back let out a loud wolf whistle which made Rose blush. She had a feeling it was Janey.

"Sure, fine, whatever" she replied. Rose was certain she would get a lecture from Taylor later about leading Sam on, but what else could she say when so many people were watching? And it wasn't like she was going to get any other offers. To be perfectly honest, she was a little confused as to why Sam hadn't asked her earlier. It had been just over a month since the announcement about Evangeline's arrival and the ball had been made, and as everybody had annoyingly pointed out to her, it was obvious that Sam would leap at this opportunity to ask her out.  
Ever since they'd been allowed to visit Hogsmeade in their third year, he had been asking to meet up with her on their daytrips, and he always had that crestfallen, hurt look when she turned up with Taylor or Gwen in tow, and especially when she brought Janey with her. But this was just her way of telling him gently that she wasn't interested in him like that.

He looked thrilled with her response now though and she felt slightly guilty. After all, she really didn't want to give him the wrong impression. But before she had time to say anything else, the door to the Gryffindor common room was thrust open and James came hurtling through it, with his best friend Mason by his side.

"What's everybody looking at?" he said, stopping abruptly, noticing that everybody was silent and looking in a certain direction. Rose stood up immediately, accidentally kicking Sam as she did so. She hurried over to James' side looking flustered.

"Nothing" she lied, as people slowly began to resume the conversations they had been having before Sam had asked her to the ball. She really didn't want James to know that Sam had asked her, he would tease her non-stop. "What are you so excited about?"she asked her cousin in a desperate attempt to divert his attention. His face slipped into a delighted grin.

"Notice sheet just went up – Quidditch trials are next month!"

Rose did her best to put on a cheery smile. "That's great, but aren't you already on the team?"

"Yeah, but we've got a new captain and he's making everybody try out again, even if we were already on the team last year" he scowled. He and Mason shared angry glances.

"I'm sure you'll do fine James – you're an amazing Quidditch player" Rose assured him. James puffed his chest out proudly.

"Oh I know Rosie, those slimy Slytherins better watch out – we'll have an unbeatable team – we'll crush them" he yelled, giving Mason a high five. "You ever thought of trying out for the team?"

"Of course not! You know I'm much more of an intellectual student... I don't _do _sports" Rose said with her nose in the air. Quidditch was definitely not her thing. She didn't understand why people thought it was so great if they could whiz around on a broomstick and toss a ball through a stupid hoop. James looked mock offended.

"Quidditch is more than just a sport Rose" he said seriously. "It's a passion – a way of life!"

She sighed; she would never understand boys and their obsession with Quidditch.

"Hey little brother!" James said enthusiastically as Albus crept in through the portrait hole. "Trying out for the Quidditch team this year?"

Albus seemed to consider this idea deeply before answering. "Yeah... Yeah, maybe I will"

James began roaring with laughter. "Yeah! Good one Al! If you make the team then I'll give you 100 galleons" he exclaimed. Albus looked discourage.

"You don't have 100 galleons to give me" he responded coolly.

"It's a good job I won't need to then!" And with that, James was off, leaving Rose to give Albus a sympathetic look.

"Ignore him Albus, you'll do great" she said with a smile.

"I hope so" he murmured.

* * *

"Guess who just asked me to the ball" Janey squealed as she raced into the room that night.

"Guess who asked Rose" Taylor responded coolly. Just as she'd predicted, Taylor had been furious with Rose for saying she'd be Sam's date for the ball. But Janey was eager for the gossip.

"Oh, everybody knows about Rose and Sam!" Janey laughed.

"Guess who Taylor asked" Rose retaliated bitterly. Janey raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Henry Fontayne" Rose told her calmly. Janey's eyes widened in shock and Taylor threw Rose an accusing look.

"My ex-boyfriend?" Janey demanded furiously. Taylor sighed, looking extremely irritated.

"Janey you said you were going to break up with him on the first day of school which was a month ago, and you're going to the ball with some other guy anyway!"

"But he's still my ex-boyfriend" she shrieked. The three other girls stared at her with raised eyebrows until she rolled her eyes. "Fine, I suppose you're right." It wasn't very often that Janey admitted defeat. Then she rounded on Gwen. "At least three of us have dates then" she said excitedly. She was met with an annoyed look from Gwen.

"I'll have you know that I also have a date for the ball."

"Oh really?" Janey teased. "Who is it then?" Gwen flipped her sleek black hair over her shoulder and looked smug.

"Mason Hart" she replied, with the slightest hint of a smile. Their mouth's dropped in shock.

"As in, my cousin James' best friend?" Rose asked.

"Uhuh" she said casually.

"As in, that really hot, popular guy in the fifth year?" Janey asked, clearly gobsmacked.

"Uhuh"

"B-but... why?"

"Why not? Why shouldn't a boy ask his girlfriend to a ball?" she demanded.

"Wait, WHAT?" Janey shrieked. "Since when?" This was the question they had all been thinking.

"A couple of weeks" Gwen shrugged, clearly enjoying their shocked expressions.

"How come you didn't tell us?" Taylor asked quietly, sounding hurt. Gwen looked slightly guilty.

"It wasn't really any of your business" she said half-heartedly. Janey narrowed her eyes, seeing right through Gwen's cover story.

"There's more" she stated. Gwen blushed and dropped her eyes from Janey's immediately. Janey was not giving up though, and strode over to Gwen furiously, crossing her arms as she did so.

Gwen let out a deep sigh, as she realised Janey would not leave her alone unless she confessed. "I thought that if I told you, you would..."

"Would _what?_" Janey growled.

"You would... interfere." Janey gasped and took a step back, clearly offended at this accusation. "We thought it would be kinda fun to keep it a secret and see how it goes without anybody" – she glanced at Janey- "getting in the way..."

"How dare you! What on Earth makes you think I would try and interfere?" Janey yelled. Gwen remained calm, as she so often did around Janey nowadays.

"Janey" she said seriously. "Whenever's there's a new relationship in this school you _always_ get involved"

"I do not!"

"Actually, you kinda do" Taylor added.

"What?" Janey looked as though she'd been betrayed.

"Well you like the gossip" Gwen pointed out "And we didn't really want the whole school to know – that kind of thing is what ruins relationships"

"Fine" Janey said huffily, stalking out of the room. The three remaining girls watched her leave silently and then burst into laughter. Janey storming out was not unusual in the Gryffin- Girls dorm and it had been a while she'd last done it.

"I'm really happy for you Gwen" Rose said reassuringly, once their laughter had died down. And she genuinely was, but deep down in her stomach she felt the slightest feeling of envy. She wasn't necessarily jealous of Gwen's relationship with Mason – he was far too alike her cousin James when it came to levels of maturity – but, when was she ever going to find a boy that was right for her?  
At the moment all she had was Sam... Surely there had to be a boy somewhere in the school that could fill the gaping hole in her heart...


	8. Preparation

**Chapter 8 – Preparation**

"So..." Scorpius said, taking a breath. "How did you do?" Albus looked miserable and Scorpius knew at once that it was bad news.

"I didn't get on" he mumbled, staring down at his shoes. Scorpius swallowed deeply. He had a feeling this would happen. He'd had flying lessons with Albus and he really wasn't very good at flying. The most horrible part was that, as the son of Harry Potter, great things had been expected of him. James was an incredible flyer and had been signed up for the Gryffindor Quidditch team since the moment he stepped in the school, but that was where the Quidditch skills extended too.  
Harry had been an exceptionally talented seeker when he was at school – the youngest in a century – everybody knew that, and even more depressing for Albus, their mother Ginny had been a professional Quidditch player for the Holyhead Harpies before she'd retired to have children. But this was apparently not a skill that Albus had inherited and no matter how much he'd tried to live up to his parents and the level set by his older brother, he was just no good at it. Scorpius understood how much it upset Albus to be constantly living in the shadow of his brother.

"Hey, don't worry about it Al. There are only seven spots on a Quidditch team and you Gryffindors have got an awfully large amount of talented Quidditch players. I bet the reason they didn't choose you was that they thought it would kick up a huge fuss if you got on the team because people would think it was because of your parents and not because of your talent" Scorpius lied, doing his best to cheer his best friend up.

"James got on" Albus replied bitterly. "He's a beater this year, and so is his friend Mason, and Mason's girlfriend Gwen is a chaser and - "

"Who cares! Everybody knows James would just sabotage the matches if he didn't get on the team, and it only means that Gryffindor is missing out on a great player" he said cheerily, as Albus looked like he was going to burst into tears at any moment. Albus shrugged as if he didn't quite believe what Scorpius was telling him, and after a slight pause, he hesitantly asked Scorpius the question he had been hoping Albus would avoid.

"So... how about you?" he asked, finally lifting his head to look Scorpius in the eye. Scorpius shrugged, choosing the best words to handle the situation carefully.

"Well... you know" he babbled, searching for the right words.

"You got on didn't you?" Albus asked through a shaky breath. Scorpius nodded miserably, feeling extremely guilty when he should be feeling overwhelmed.

"Yeah – I'm the seeker, but hey let's talk about something different" he said trying to change the subject.

"The ball's next week "Albus said with the miserable look back in his eyes. Scorpius had almost forgotten how quickly February had come around. It was probably because Quidditch season had been delayed so much.

"Any luck finding a date?"

"Nope. You?"

"Nah, me either." More silence. Scorpius was pretty sure that Albus knew of the several girls that had approached him and through shrieky laughter, asked him to be their date to the ball. But these girls were just silly, immature girls that he barely knew and had no interest in. There hadn't been any girl that Scorpius had even considered asking to the ball. Was there nobody in this school that was right for him?

* * *

Finally the day of the long awaited ball had arrived. It was a day the girls had been dreaming of since Professor Bobbin had first announced it back in September, and a day that the boys had been dreading. As it was a Saturday there were no lessons that day, and instead preparations were being made all day. The Great Hall would be completely transformed by the evening and the teacher's were rushing around frantically all day.

During the Christmas Holidays Rose had asked her parents eagerly about the Yule Ball they'd had back when they were in their fourth year. She found it fascinating listening to the tales of how her Dad had asked, and been rejected by, her own Aunt Fleur to the ball, and how her Mum had been the date of the famous Bulgarian seeker Viktor Krum!  
Even more so, she loved what her Mum had told her after her Dad had left the room – about how he'd been in a foul mood all evening because he was jealous that she'd gotten a date before he asked her, but was too stubborn to admit it. Rose thought it was awfully romantic, in a sort of twisted way...

When it was around two hours before the ball, Rose decided to leave the library where she'd been studying and head up to the dorm to get ready. Surely she wouldn't need the whole two hours to get ready, but there was no harm in starting early and she was extremely bored of researching goblin revolutions for History of Magic. As she walked through the Gryffindor common room, Rose couldn't help but notice that there was an extreme lack of girls. In fact, there weren't any. None at all. Not even the younger students that weren't allowed to go to the ball! Instead it was just boys lolling around on the armchairs and looking highly bored. They eyed her suspiciously as she hurried through, as though they had not seen a girl for a very long while. Perhaps they hadn't... Rose began to panic, how long did it take to prepare for a ball? Maybe she'd gotten the time wrong.

She ran up the spiral staircase that lead to the dorms with her heart thumping in her chest. As she neared the girls' rooms there was a loud mutter of many voices with urgent shrieks of panic and despair. What was going on? She grabbed hold of a wide-eyed first year that had just hurtled out of one of the rooms. "What's going on?" Rose asked the girl as she struggled to fight free from Rose's grip.

"Need-get-earrings" she panted.

"Earrings?"

"Mmm – helping my sister get ready, we all are – the first, second and third years – not just her, but everybody - everything's got to be perfect – need the earrings!"

"But... It's just a ball, I mean, there isn't that much to do is there?" The girl stopped struggling and stared up at Rose with a shocked expression of absolute disbelief.

"Miss, you do realise there's only two hours left until the ball?" Rose rolled her eyes and let go of the girl. She watched her run off down the corridor in a state, muttering _"earrings, earrings, earrings" _as she went. Rose felt extremely out of place as she strode over to her room, catching snippets of conversations from other rooms. People seemed to be taking this ball far too seriously. Well the girls at least. She sighed. If only people put this much effort into studying for their exams...

She placed a hand on the door handle, mentally preparing herself for what was behind the door. Janey was going to be an absolute nightmare; she'd been talking non-stop of the ball for months!

"YOU DID _WHAT?_" a furious voice screamed within. It was hard to figure out who the speaker was but it was most likely Janey, freaking out about some lost eyeliner or something. But as she cautiously opened the door and stepped inside the room, she was surprised to find Gwen glaring at Janey from across the room with her hands on her hips. Gwen had not seemed like the kind of girl to get so worked up and frustrated about the ball, but it seemed that whatever Janey had done was about something completely unrelated.

Janey shrugged in the casual way that she always did when she was being yelled at. "It's not _that _big of a deal."

"What? What happened?" Rose asked urgently. They all blinked in surprise as though they had not realised that she had entered the room. And then Rose blinked in surprise as she realised that there were about four younger girls in their room. Two were stood behind Taylor, who was perched on a chair, and were twisting her hair into all sorts of intricate knots and plaits. Another was sat on the floor by Janey's feet, painting her toenails in a sickening baby pink colour. And the fourth approached Rose eagerly with a toothy grin that startled her.

"She went and complained to Professor Bobbin and got Evangeline moved to another room!" Gwen shrieked in response to Rose's earlier question.

"You're overreacting! None of us liked her and she didn't like it here either – I did it purely for her sake."

"No you didn't! That's a lie – you did it for yourself, because you're too selfish and you didn't like being overshadowed by a real princess! And it's her birthday today!"

"A real princess? _Oh please. _You seriously believe that rubbish about her running away from Russia because of some big revolution? She's the biggest fake I've ever met! She's incredibly selfish - and stubborn - and bitter - and jealous – and – and – " Janey was beginning to run out of qualities for her rant. Gwen continued to glare with the same fire in her eyes.

"And who does that remind you of?" she asked bitterly. Janey scowled and strode off in a huff, accidentally kicking over the bottle of nail varnish in the process. Rose thought to herself silently. Having Evangeline gone was definitely a good thing. She _was_ incredibly vain and always seemed so miserable... so hostile and distant. She wouldn't even try and make friends with the four of them and whenever she was in the room it was always incredibly tense and awkward. But Janey had made a mistake.  
Although it was true that none of them liked Evangeline much, they had been chosen by Professor Bobbin to welcome her and help her settle in, yet they hadn't even tried and had sent her away, on her birthday and the night of the ball which was supposed to symbolise them coming together to make her feel welcome at Hogwarts. Rose felt sick when she imagined the disappointed look that Professor Bobbin would surely give them every time she looked their way.

Tensions were once again high as the Gryffin-Girls busied themselves and prepared for the ball in silence, with the most solemn of expressions. The younger girls looked embarrassed to have witnessed the argument but eager to help the older girls. But Rose felt guilty about it, as though they were house- elves. She shared the same passion as her mother when it came to fighting against house-elf slavery. It wasn't right. They were perfectly capable of getting ready themselves. And surely the girls had better things to do than help prepare people for a ball that they were not permitted to attend?

The tensions soon melted away as the evening began to draw closer to the ball. It was impossible to keep up the icy atmosphere when they were all so excited. They'd never had an event where they'd had to dress so formally, and they'd all spent a lot of time together in the Christmas holidays helping each other to find the perfect dress. The four of them stood by their beds in a breathtaking silence, examining each person in turn. Rose looked at them all in awe. They all seemed so mature and so sophisticated, even Janey.

Taylor looked the most unrecognisable. She had always seemed so frumpy and, well, geeky, what with her oversized glasses and tangles of bushy hair. But that evening she looked completely transformed. She was wearing a long turquoise dress and the first years had done an incredible job with her hair. Her glasses were nowhere to be seen and even the way she stood; she looked proud and confident. It was nice to see her looking so pleased with the way she looked for a change.

Janey looked very regal and grand. She too was in a floor length dress, which was very odd considering she usually loved to show off far more of her legs than the teachers thought appropriate, only it was in the same pale pink as her nails had been painted. Her hair, which was so often messily pulled into a top-knot, was now hanging gracefully down to her waist in beautiful golden waves, and a dainty silver tiara gleamed from on top of her head.

Gwen had gone for a much different, but still equally as charming dress. Hers was low cut and knee-length with tiny rubies adorning the bust and the hem, emphasising the deep red shade of the material. Her hair was perfectly straight and sleeked back to keep it out of her face.

As for Rose herself, she was wearing a long golden dress made of shimmering satin material. A large golden bow was secured around her waist at the back and the strapless bodice was made of tiny golden sequins that twinkled like stars every time she moved beneath the light. Feeling guilty about the first years that were working so hard to make them look beautiful, Rose hadn't made them spend much time on her hair. She liked it best when it was hanging loose down her back and as it was naturally curly, all she had done was secure a few golden clips on either side to keep it out of her face.  
As she caught sight of herself in the mirror that hung by Janey's bed, Rose had never felt prettier. The four of them exchanged compliments and thanked the first years for their effort, before walking gracefully to the great hall to meet their dates.

Janey had hurried off straight away and Gwen had found Mason, who unsurprisingly was loitering around with James. Gwen and Mason were an adorable couple and they'd both made the Gryffindor Quidditch team which was fantastic. It took a while for Henry Fontayne to recognise who Taylor was. It was no surprise really; she did look very different to her usual gawky self. The two of them hurried off as well and so Rose was left to search for Sam by herself. Finding him, even amongst the wild sea of people, was easy.  
Rose had spent so much time with him over the years that his face was easy to pick out in a crowd. Although he did look very smart, and extremely breathless at the sight of her, she still had that guilty feeling twisting in her stomach. Had she been wrong to agree to be Sam's date? Surely he was only going to get the wrong impression... This was definitely not the best way to go about convincing him that they were only friends. She couldn't help but blush as he complimented her, but it was with a disappointing and uneasy feeling that she entered the great hall with her hand in his.


	9. Desperate Desires

**Chapter 9 – Desperate Desires**

There was a collective gasp as Evangeline entered the hall. It was hard not to. She was without a doubt the prettiest girl in the room. Even Scorpius, who had found it very hard to be interested in Evangeline, couldn't help but ogle at the sight of her. And it was perfectly clear that she was loving the attention. Scorpius had seen her from time to time, constantly surrounded by a large crowd of admirers, and it didn't take a genius to figure out how vain and attention-seeking she was. But he suddenly felt guilty for judging her.  
Her life was at risk after all. Well, it was practically impossible to feel unsafe at Hogwarts, but still, the potential danger was there. She'd obviously gone through a real trauma, what with having to leave her family and country to be locked up in a strange school in a strange country where she knew nobody, and where people like Scorpius judged her. So he tried to banish the judgments out of his mind and focus on something else. He scanned the room, trying to think of something other than the Russian Princess, when his eyes fell on none other than Rose Weasley.

And in that instant, all the years of hiding in the shadows, all the years of avoiding her gaze, being a stranger - an unknown - in her life, nothing but a mere shadow in the background, melted away as though it had never existed. The wall he'd built up to keep a firm barrier between their lives was finally crumbling as though a simple gust of wind had disrupted a house of playing cards.

She turned her head slowly, her flaming locks falling gently down her back like a wave of pure blood. No. Not blood. Something as sinister and callous as blood could never be associated with that girl. _Rubies. _Like a waterfall of rubies. No. Not rubies. It was wrong to associate her with treasure and possessions only desired by self-loving fools. There were no words that could possibly come close to describing her beauty.

"She's beautiful" Albus sighed dreamily to his right. Scorpius let out a soft "mmm" of agreement, staring desirably at Rose. How lucky Al was to be so close with her... to have her in his close family - not that a family relationship with Rose was what Scorpius desired. Wait, WHAT!? Rose was Al's cousin, he shouldn't be commenting on her beauty in such a love struck way!  
Scorpius broke his longing gaze away from the beautiful girl with a look of disgust plastered to his face, only to be met with an eyeful of Albus' black mop of hair. Scorpius followed his gaze to settle on none other than Evangeline Amberry, before clocking the foolish, soppy look on Albus' face. Was that what he had looked like, when he caught sight of Rose? He blushed silently feeling like an idiot. Surely nobody had seen him. Unable to think of something that would return Albus' attention to himself, he patiently waited until eventually he focused his eyes back to Scorpius' anxious face. "Maybe we should get a drink", Albus suggested nodding to a table filled with glass goblets and delightfully coloured fountains of drinks.

As they dodged and swerved around various dancers straggling at the sides, Scorpius couldn't help but search the crowd for Evangeline. He found her, surrounded by a hustle of admirers, hopefully longing for her hand in the next dance. Scorpius scanned her in detail, searching for any sign of the feelings he'd felt before when she'd first entered the hall. Yes, she was pretty, but had she always had such dull and tedious coloured eyes? Her hair was so pale and plain... completely lifeless. Not at all like the vibrant, bouncing curls of the girl stood a few metres to her right. The _forbidden _girl. Rose Weasley was more off limits than the fire whisky that James Potter was currently trying to get his hands on. She wasn't off limits to his eyes though, and if he had to stare at her all night, just taking in how incredibly beautiful she was, then he would do it.  
For a brief second her eyes flashed Scorpius' way. In that moment, when their eyes locked, Scorpius felt a kind of magic that no wizard could accurately produce. It bubbled up in him, like a flock of birds longing to be free, to soar around the hall and sing a tune so sweet and melodic that it would echo in the hearts of lovers forever. He felt a pull so strong that it overcame any magnet or natural force, and it was unbearable for Scorpius to keep his feet stuck firmly to the floor where they stood now. Was this how mindless fools felt when they'd been slipped a love potion? Had _he _been slipped a love potion? Surely not, but how else could he explain these desperate sensations that tore at his chest? He unwillingly dragged his eyes away from hers; taking a step back to be certain he could still move. A pyramid of goblets came crashing to the floor behind him, fortunately not loud enough to be heard over the current waltz. As Scorpius turned to apologise, an agitated prefect glared at him in disgust.

"_Please _watch where you're going young sir. The dance floor's that way" he said in a hostile manner, indicating to the centre of the room. Before Scorpius could respond, another student caught the prefect's eye. "_You_. I _told _you, the fire whisky is strictly off limits to students. Only teachers and staff can drink this. You can have _pumpkin juice", _he said snatching away a long red bottle from the clutches of Albus' older brother.

"Then why's it on the table with the other drinks!?" James protested. "What utter moron came up with that genius idea" he scoffed sarcastically. With one last look of pure disgust, he turned on his heel to search for his best friend, Mason Hart. Catching sight of his younger brother, he stopped abruptly, a grin stretched from ear to ear. Scorpius didn't trust that grin one bit.  
"Well, well. Hello there little brother. How's your boyfriend?" he said inclining his head towards Scorpius. Albus threw James an irritated look, whilst Scorpius immediately whipped his wand out from his pocket. In a few strides he was face to face with James, who only towered over him by a few inches, jabbing his wand directly into his throat. Feeling slightly intimated as James burst into fits of laughter, he held his ground ready to attack if necessary. "No need to get so protective Malfoy" he said in between laughs. "Like you would have the guts to attack me - an older student!"

"I'll do it Potter" Scorpius snarled prodding his wand harder into his throat. At this last remark James let out another roar of laughter, so loud that people had started to notice a fight was about to break out and were gathering around them. As Scorpius drew back his wand, ready to give James the most powerful jinx he could produce, Albus sighed a few feet away and disarmed Scorpius with an embarrassed look on his face. His wand flew out of his hand, and landed in a glass bowl full of a peculiar looking, violet coloured drink. James was actually doubling over in laughter now and Scorpius considered punching him straight in his smirking mouth. It's what he deserved, but deep down he knew James would over power him and he would look more of a failure than he already did.

"Clear off James" Albus said sternly. Gasping for breath James ruffled Albus' hair patronisingly and strutted off, a smile still playing on his lips.

"Oh Al, I'll see you around little brother. Try to keep your _friend _under control next time. Maybe even teach him to get a sense of humour, if you can find one yourself that is" And with that he was off, laughing uncontrollably yet again.

As Scorpius retrieved his wand from the glass bowl and disgustedly wiped it on his robes, Albus came to stand next to him.

"Sorry about that" he said miserably. "About what James said, and disarming you and everything. I shouldn't let you fight my battles."

"You shouldn't let him get to you so badly Albus."

"I know, but you just don't understand what it's like to have an older brother". He was staring down at the ground now, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to another. At the sound of a new, feminine voice, both boys turned to face Professor Bobbin, hands on her hips.

"Everything alright boys?" she asked, sounding half concerned and half stern. "Had a little argument?"

"It was James!" Albus burst out automatically. Professor Bobbin's eyes shined with kindness and a soft smile formed on her lips.

"Little Prankster Potter eh? No difference there then. No need to look so worried Albus; I know you weren't the cause of the commotion. And if I catch James trying to get his hands on some fire whisky or attempting to start a fight with the younger students again, I _will_ deal with it." She scanned the room searching for James amongst the rabble of students, before focusing her attention on Scorpius.

She leaned in slightly beaming a broad grin. "I never got the chance to congratulate you properly on making the Slytherin Quidditch team Mr Malfoy. Your Quidditch Captain has told me great things about you. Apparently you're a real natural on a broomstick, and I've no doubt you will make an excellent seeker. Don't let me down" she said with a wink. It was no secret that Professor Bobbin had been in Slytherin house when she attended Hogwarts.

"In the mean time, I suggest you keep out of James Potter's way and study hard for your upcoming OWLs next year. They'll come around quicker than you can say 'examinations' trust me. However, I strongly advise you to enjoy this evening. Perhaps there is a certain young witch you may wish to grace with a dance." Scorpius could have sworn her eyes flickered briefly towards Rose and her friends.  
"After all, it isn't very often that an event such as this comes up. This may be the only ball you attend at Hogwarts. I was very lucky indeed to be in my third year as the date of a fifth year Ravenclaw when the Yule ball was held in honour of the Triwizard Tournament. And what a disastrous competition that was" she frowned slightly, no doubt reminiscing about the horrors that had occurred that year. "But the ball was an unforgettable experience and you may not be lucky enough to experience another one. Although you never know; I may make this an annual thing..." she trailed off lost in thought.  
Before Scorpius could utter a word in response, Bobbin hurried over to repair an ice sculpture that had mysteriously shattered into tiny pieces, a few metres away from where James and Mason were stood. After sharing confused looks, Albus and Scorpius stared out into the vastness of the hall.

"I wish I could dance with Evangeline" Albus sighed with a gloomy expression.

"Al, let's be reasonable. She's a princess and she's 17. She'll never be interested in wizards like us. Besides, she looks far too vain and self-centred to be a decent person." At this remark, Albus' face practically turned red with rage.

"_Don't_ talk about her like that! You've never met her, so you can't judge her! _I_ think she's the most down to earth, beautiful, charming witch in this school!" His hands had clenched into fists by his side. Extremely frustrated by Albus' dumbstruck admiration for a witch that didn't even come close to the beauty of Rose Weasley, Scorpius retaliated bitterly.

"You've never even met her yourself, so you can't judge her either. And I just mean that there are some witches that actually care about important things – like school and justice and friendship, not about their appearance and how to run away to another country when they get threatened." Instead of glaring at Albus like he'd intended to, Scorpius found his gaze settled back on the freckled face of a redheaded witch he'd never properly met. Albus opened his mouth to let all hell loose at Scorpius' description of Evangeline, but stopped himself as he noticed the direction of his attention.

"Wait, are you staring at Rose? _Rose?_ My _cousin _Rose!" he accused. Scorpius quickly turned to face a now confused and agitated Albus.

"W-what? Of course not! I've never even seen her before... I was just looking at the decoration by the window, right over there" he pointed towards a large crystal orb hovering conveniently behind Rose's shoulder. "I've never seen one before" he lied. Albus' face relaxed and he looked apologetic.

"Oh. Look Scorpius, I'm really sorry. It's just James has been winding me up all week and I still haven't done that potions essay on wormwood, and" – Scorpius interrupted him, grasping his shoulder.

"Hey, it's fine. We should just relax and have fun like Bobbin said, right?"

"Right" Albus confirmed. "Hey, maybe we should go speak to Rose – I haven't spoken to her in ages. I can't believe you've never even met her after _four_ years of being in the same year. I know you've had classes together! Anyway, I'll introduce you. Maybe we could team up sometime in class – she's really clever you know. Surely you must know that! Oh well, let's go" he babbled to himself more, rather than Scorpius. Scorpius had frozen with shock at Albus' suggestion though.

"No!" he practically screamed. "I mean, she looks really busy, so why bother her? I think I saw, err someone over there, with no company. Let's go find him instead" he gabbled, desperately trying to steer Albus in the opposite direction. He looked confused and broke away from Scorpius' tight grasp.

"No way Scorpius! I'm really close with Rose, you'll get on with her fine" And with that he marched towards his cousin leaving Scorpius no choice but to follow him.

Closing his eyes, with a deep sigh, Scorpius tried to wipe every memory of his parents forbidding him to interact with Rose, out of his mind. It was only one night, after all. His parents didn't even have to know. Ever since he'd caught sight of her for that first time tonight he'd known he could never stay away from her. He'd silently vowed in his heart that he would do all he could just to talk to her.  
He didn't understand why, but after all he didn't even understand his parent's weird superstitions. Was it just his father's hatred for the Weasley family or was there something about Rose that nobody was telling him? Whatever the reason he'd been ordered to stay away from this girl, he didn't care anymore. She was all that mattered to him right now and his parents would just have to deal with that. He would accept whatever consequence he deserved, but really what was the worst that could happen?

With this in mind he opened his eyes and taking a deep breath, confidently strode over to the forbidden girl. If he hadn't been staring at Rose so contently, he may have even noticed that Professor Bobbin was watching him intently from across the room, with a secret little smile to confirm the happiness and pride she felt for young Scorpius Malfoy.


	10. Rose's Waltz

**Chapter 10 – Rose's Waltz **

Meanwhile, on the other side of the great hall, Rose Weasley's mind and heart were racing wildly. Who _was_ that boy by the drinks? He seemed so familiar but she couldn't put her finger on it. He was tall with silvery blond hair, a Slytherin perhaps? Maybe that was why she didn't recognise him. She didn't often hang around with too many students from other houses; it was just a Gryffindor thing. Something that ought to be changed, she realised.  
James was always giving Albus a hard time for hanging around with that Slytherin boy, what was his name? And where was James? He'd been by her side only a minute ago... Anyway, forget James, her mind was still whirring about that other boy. All Rose knew was that when their eyes had locked, sparks had flown and her heart still hadn't slowed down from the exhilarating pace it had accelerated to.

Peering through the crowds she found him again. He had on a smart set of pure black dress robes, with what looked like tiny pieces of emerald and diamond embedded into the sleeves and around the hem. He must come from a very wealthy family indeed. Just from the way he stood she could tell he'd been raised in a certain way, most likely a pureblood. But who was she to judge anyway? He must be in her year, but why didn't she know his name and how come they'd never overlapped at least once?  
Was he one of those people that just lurked in the shadows at the back of the class room? Whatever the reason, she had a feeling that she wanted this boy, this oh so mysterious boy, to come closer to her. She longed for the sound of his voice and for that little spark of _real_ magic when she'd first seen him. And then Rose felt the familiar softness of Samuel Tyler's hand clasping her wrist.

"Rose, are you okay?" he asked with a deep look of concern in his eyes. Forcing a smile, she looked up to meet his eyes. Why couldn't she feel the same attraction to Sam that she did with the other boy. It would make life so much easier right now.

"Sure Sam I'm fine" she said reassuringly. He let go of her wrist and let his hand swing down by his side, not looking convinced in the slightest.

"Alright, it's just you look, kinda, I dunno really, absent I guess. It's like your body is here, but your mind is somewhere else. _You're _somewhere else" he blushed. Rose let out an uneasy laugh, avoiding a response. Sam seemed to perk up a bit, but a hint of disbelief shone in his eyes.

"Would you like to dance?" he spoke with more enthusiasm now, probably a ploy to take her attention away from whatever was dragging her eyes away from his. No, was the answer she wanted to tell him. Because she knew that she could never reciprocate the feelings he felt for her. He was such a kind, devoted friend and she could never afford to lose him because of some weird relationship that she would enter half-heartedly.  
He was beautiful, yes. Loyal, brave, hard-working, there was no denying that and he was clever as well, but _love_is not something you choose. It's not something you can create; even Amortentia cannot make a person truthfully and completely fall in love with someone they simply can't without it.

And that was her problem, because Sam was someone who would never give up or would go through life with the pain of a broken heart, forcing himself to keep his feelings to himself to make her happy. And she didn't want to be that girl. Nor did she want to be the girl that pretended to give him the closeness and relationship he desired, only to crush his heart into a million tiny pieces, when she could eventually no longer keep up the lie she'd be living.

So instead she glanced back over to where she'd last seen the tall, blond boy. "I was actually thinking we could maybe get a drink". Sam looked crestfallen, but he knew if he had this one night with Rose, they could become an official couple. This was the night she was going to fall in love with him. In his mind anyway. It was quite obvious that Rose's mind was elsewhere.

"I wouldn't if I were you, it looks like James Potter's trying to start a fight" he said, desperately trying to distract her attention from that Malfoy boy. "Just one dance" he pleaded, and how could Rose deny when he looked so distressed. "You _are_ my date..." And with that Rose had to force another smile on her face because she had in all fairness agreed to be his date for the evening. She knew she'd been defeated.

"Alright, but just one" she promised. The happiness that spread through his face was so genuine that she felt a pang of guilt for not being able to love him in the way he wanted her to.

Sam extended his hand dramatically and Rose placed her dainty hand into his, allowing a genuine smile at how typically gentlemanly he was being. The current song was an old, romantic waltz, perfect for what Sam had in mind. Without Rose realising, he had managed to place one hand around her waist, pulling her in closely. Whereas Rose would normally have been reluctant and pulled way she decided the least she could do was let him have this dance the way he wanted it. She had promised after all, and then she would be free to mingle with whomever she pleased.  
Although she didn't want to admit it, dancing with Sam was fun. She'd placed one hand on his shoulder while the other was still clasped with his, a typical waltzing position. They swayed in time with the music, rocking together gently and for a moment Rose's mind had been taken away from the boy by the drinks.

"You look beautiful tonight by the way" he whispered softly in her ear. Rose smiled appreciatively, trying to enjoy the moment before it was over.

"You're too good to me Sam"

"No, you deserve it. You honestly don't understand how breathtakingly incredible you are. Everybody loves you, you know. Everybody who meets you is just astounded by you, for all the right reasons I mean. And it's not just because of your famous parents, it's because of you. I've never met a witch, no a _human_, as completely and utterly amazing as you Rose. I really mean it. Rose?"  
But Rose hadn't heard. As they'd absentmindedly swayed to the melody, the blond boy had fallen into Rose's line of vision, and a thousand thoughts and emotions had crowded her mind as Sam's sentimental speech fell to a lost cause. He squeezed her hand gently, sharply bringing her back to reality.

"What is it Sam?" she asked panicked. Had he told her something important? Had he even been talking at all? And then she clocked his disappointed face. The hurt he felt inside was evident in his expression and the gnawing feeling of guilt returned to her stomach. He raised an eyebrow.

"You can't fool me Rose Weasley – I know you too well. You've been staring at him ever since we arrived..." The bluntness in his voice couldn't have been plainer. And rose was speechless because what he was saying was absolutely true. When she didn't utter a single word, Sam's suspicions had been confirmed.

"I've lost you haven't I?" he asked, his voice so quiet he could have been whispering. Amongst the pain in his eyes, there was the slightest hint of understanding and acceptance. She smiled sympathetically.

"You'll always have me Sam. Just not in the way you want." He sighed.

"I can still have this dance?" he asked innocently.

"A promise is a promise. And I _always_ keep my promises." Whether Sam really believed her or not, it was good enough for him, and they laughed in synch, just as friends should.  
The music suddenly changed into a much quicker, upbeat song and before Rose could break away and claim the song she promised was over, he released her so they were connected by only one hand hold and spun her around and around and around, never breaking their clasp. And she didn't object. She went with it, laughing joyfully the whole time. Because Rose couldn't remember since she'd last had this much fun, and she'd very nearly forgotten about the mysterious boy.

Round and round she twirled, her dress flowing around her ankles, unstoppable laughter spilling from her lips. The room started to go blurry and she closed her eyes tightly, just feeling the motion of the spinning, trying to savour the sensation. Suddenly Sam's grip loosened and the momentum at which Rose was spinning, forced her to let go of his hand, whirling uncontrollably towards the centre of the room.

Her previous feelings of delight quickly turned to fear as her foot got caught in the hem of her dress and she fell forwards spectacularly, straight into the arms of Scorpius Malfoy.


	11. Scorpius' Secret

**Chapter 11 – Scorpius' Secret**

For a moment, one perfect moment in time, they were frozen. It had all happened so quickly. As Scorpius was racking his brain for something, _anything_, to say to Rose Weasley when Albus introduced him, there she was; flying across the room like a fiery tornado, straight into his unsuspecting clutches.

Rose grasped onto his arms tightly for support and stared straight into his eyes. The eyes she'd been longing to see up close all evening. And she recognised him instantly. The memory of her very first journey to Platform 9 and ¾ flooded her mind with a vivid clarity. He was the forbidden boy - Scorpius Malfoy. He was the son of her father's and Uncle's arch enemy and the son of her mother's childhood bully. The whole Malfoy family had been sworn enemies to the Weasley's for generations. And now she was here, in his arms feeling like the most confused and astounded girl in the world.

There was the magic again. Now they were so close, the pull was much stronger. There was such a powerful bond between them that she felt dizzy, and somehow she just knew it wasn't because of the intense spinning that she had just performed. Unable to move or speak she just stared, searching her mind for anything to say at all. But then he spoke, in a warm, friendly tone as if they'd known each other since the start of time.

"Slow down there freckles" he grinned. Freckles? What was Scorpius thinking when he'd called her that? That's not what he'd planned on saying at all! She blinked - her confusion apparent. Blushing a deep shade of red, Scorpius held her hands and tenderly lifted her to an upright position. Neither let go of their grasp, Scorpius assuming it was so she could steady herself.

"Oh my gosh, Rose are you Ok?" Albus cut in ignorantly, rushing to Rose's side.

"Yeah Albus, I'm fine. Really." She assured him, taking a step back and finally releasing her hold on Scorpius.

"You look a little overwhelmed. Do you need to sit down? Do you want me to take you to a teacher?" It was kind of sweet how worried Albus felt for his cousin, but Rose couldn't bear the thought of leaving her present company. She managed a smile, trying to look relaxed, but she couldn't have felt more out of control of the situation.

"Seriously, I'm fine. I just need to – " but she was interrupted by a hysterical Sam, pulling her into his arms.

"Rose, I can't believe what happened. I'm so sorry – this is entirely my fault!" And he wouldn't stop apologising and expressing his guilt, much to Rose's annoyance. Embracing Sam felt wrong, his arms felt wrong... he wasn't Scorpius.

Beside her, Scorpius was outraged. "Hey! She said she was fine, alright? Let go of her – she can't even breathe!" He pulled at his arms, forcing Sam away from Rose, but then he focused his attention on Scorpius, just as irritated as he was.

"What's your problem, Malfoy? I'm her friend – you're just a stranger and she needs _me_ right now". He may have even looked threatening if it weren't for Scorpius' height advantage.

"_You?_ You're the one that threw her away, Tyler!" Rose wondered how it was that Scorpius and Sam knew each other, yet she'd never spoken to him at all. Before Scorpius could get himself into another fight, Albus stepped in between the two boys.

"Trust me Sam, Rose is fine and what she really wants right now is a family member, i.e. me." This wasn't entirely true, but Rose didn't object, willing to see how Albus was going to handle this. "Professor Bobbin was looking for you earlier. She said it was urgent, that's what Scorpius and I were coming to tell you actually."

"Err yeah, that's right" breathed Scorpius after being elbowed sharply in the ribs by Albus. Rose decided to offer her services as well.

"I think you should go see her, Sam. You can't keep the headmistress waiting. I'll be fine with Albus and Scorpius, trust me". Sam looked momentarily confused, unsure if this was just a distraction. But after mulling it over in his head, he decided to listen to Rose's urgency and noticed the authority and command in her eyes.

"Err alright then. I guess I'll go see her. I'll be right back" he promised before darting off in search for the Headmistress of Hogwarts.

"Don't hurry" Rose muttered under her breath so only Albus and Scorpius could hear. They all started laughing.

"How long do you think it'll be until he realises we made it up?" Albus asked with just a hint of shame in his voice.

"Not long enough" smiled Scorpius. And with this remark they all burst into laughter again. Now that Sam was out of the picture, Rose could really take in what Scorpius looked like in detail. The way his eyes shone like pale green glass and the way his equally pale, blond hair emphasised his slender cheek bones; he was breathtaking.  
Scorpius was surveying Rose in the same way, counting the freckles on her cute little nose, and counting the brilliant colours of her hair – red, orange, gold a combination that was stunningly vibrant. Completely forgetting that Albus was there, Rose extended her hand towards Scorpius.

"Rose Weasley". Scorpius grinned down at her taking her hand in his and kissing it softly.

"Scorpius Malfoy" he said in reply. "Pleasure to meet you".  
It seemed so peculiar, acting as if they'd just met, when it felt like they'd know each other forever. There was no more awkwardness or shyness. Being together felt perfectly natural. Instead of releasing her hand he held it tightly. "May I have this dance?" he asked like a true gentleman. A thousand hippogriffs couldn't hold Rose back right now.

"Absolutely, but I must warn you I am not the best dancer in the world" They smiled, both remembering how Rose had tumbled over her dress just moments before.

"That's alright. I'll lead you. Bit of an expert myself" he joked. Affectionately, he wrapped her arms around his neck and placed his own arms around her waist, cradling her back. "Just don't let go".

Rose couldn't believe how much more comfortable it was to be held by Scorpius than it was by Sam. It was as if they were two puzzle pieces, destined to be together as the only combination that could possibly work.

"I won't ever let go. I promise. And I _always _keep my promises" And with that, they were off, twirling much more gracefully than Rose had last, leaving Albus to stand awkwardly by himself, completely bewildered. He couldn't help but feel he'd just made a huge mistake. Had he really just hooked up his best friend with his cousin!?

Nothing compared to dancing with Scorpius. They way he held her and whisked her around the dance floor was enchanting. He clearly had experience when it came to dancing and although the couple didn't realise, all the other students around them had stopped to watch, forming a circle around them. The music was too loud for them to hear, but friends were whispering together, absolutely stunned. A Malfoy and a Weasley, together? That combination was so bizarre that even the teachers were starting to cut off their conversations to watch them.

And by the time, the song ended, the whole hall was whispering urgently, bringing both Scorpius and Rose abruptly back to reality. Slightly dazed, they took in the surrounding witches and wizards. Rose searched the crowd picking out the shocked faces of people she knew. She caught sight of Taylor McAdams grinning at her enthusiastically, urging her to continue. Janey, on the other hand, hadn't seemed to notice that anything else was going on, as she seemed to be chatting up some boy Rose didn't know. Others were not so happy.

At the back of the hall, perched on a table sat Evangeline, scowling bitterly, enraged that the attention was no longer on herself. And a few feet across, Sam stood sheepishly with a face full of sorrow. Rose wanted to comfort him, to call out to him and explain that she could never feel the way about him that she did about Scorpius, but that he was the most brilliant friend a girl like herself could ever wish for. But before she could do anything, she caught sight of James and Mason roaring with laughter again, with Gwen stood nearby, looking puzzled. She was going to pay for this _a lot_. But the teasing that would undoubtedly come over the next few years of her life was completely worth it.  
And then there was Albus. He looked so confused, as if he couldn't decide whether he was supposed to be ecstatic or appalled by their pairing.

Scorpius on the other hand was feeling a little more self-conscious. He was well respected in Slytherin house due to his family name and the Weasley's were a bit of a joke in their minds. Should that really bother him, though? Albus was the only one person he knew he could completely trust; he was his only true friend. In most of the other houses however, particularly Gryffindor, Weasley was a name nearly as respected as Potter!  
The younger students, and indeed most of the older students looked amazed. Was this really such an unrealistic thing? That two people from different worlds could be so happy together? Scorpius had tried his hardest for nearly four years to make himself unknown, and that privacy was coming crashing to the floor faster than lightning.

Rose stared up at him contently, with a look that made all his worries melt away. He didn't care about his status, his respect or his privacy anymore. She was all that mattered to him now. And seeing how happy she was right now was all he needed.

"Would you like to go somewhere more peaceful?" he murmured softly in her ear. She smiled blissfully at his suggestion.

"Let's go" she said dragging him towards the doors to the grounds. As they darted from the room, leaving the crowds in stunned silence, Scorpius briefly saw Professor's Bobbin's delighted face. She gave him a look so full of satisfaction and pride that it made him feel proud of his actions and confident that he was doing the right thing, by defying his family, but following his heart.

It was definitely much more serene outside in the Hogwarts grounds. The moon was nearly full, casting shimmering light over everything it touched, illuminating every beautiful detail of the landscape. Rose let go of Scorpius' hand swiftly as she realised she was still gripping it tightly, and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Silently they strolled to a rather large rock, placed conveniently by the lake. It was just big enough for the two of them to sit together comfortably.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" she said admiring the prettiness of the moonlit area. But Scorpius' eyes were not observing the scenery. Instead they were taking in the magnificent beauty of the redheaded girl sat by his side.

"Very" he agreed, with his eyes unmoving from her face. This made Rose blush more. And then she plucked up the courage to ask the question that had been eating away at her most of the night.

"So... Did you bring a date?" she asked a little sceptically, praying that the answer was a no. He grinned at her reassuringly.

"Does Albus count?" At this comment, Rose laughed a little nervously, was he trying to avoid the question? Sensing her worries, he looked more serious. "There is nobody in this school that I even considered bringing to this ball. Until tonight, that is..."

She perked up now. "Well I'm glad to hear that." And that familiar feeling of recognition returned. Somehow she just felt like she _knew_ Scorpius better, but that was impossible; she had never even seen him before tonight, with the exception of Platform 9 and ¾ of course. How was that even possible? To not even physically _see_someone for four years of being in the same classes. It didn't seem right at all.

"Scorpius" she said looking up into his eyes. "How is it that we've never met before? It just seems a bit odd, especially with you being so close to Al and everything. And yet, somehow I do feel like we have met before..." She trailed off feeling foolish. What a stupid thing to say. But he hesitated, looking anxious, almost as if he knew the answer.

"I... well, the thing is... it's just that..." he looked scared now, hurriedly breaking eye contact and staring at a shrub several feet away.

"Scorpius, what is it?" Panic was rising in her voice. "Tell me... please"

"This has gone on too long" he muttered to himself with a vacant expression. "You deserve to know... but please, _please, _don't judge me, or say anything until I'm finished" he begged. She carefully took his hand in her own and held it gently, resting on the rock.

"I promise." Her eyes were full of trust, and Scorpius knew he could believe her.

He cleared his throat. "Ok, here goes. A few months before I started Hogwarts, my parents told me - warned me - to stay away from your family... you in particular" he nodded at her. She raised an eyebrow, but kept her lips sealed just as she promised.  
"Anyway, they made it really clear that it was you, Rose Weasley, that posed most threat towards me... towards my whole family. I don't know why, I still don't know why, but I knew I had to obey them and really it wasn't that big of a deal. I mean, don't take this the wrong way, but I wasn't really interested in mingling with you, or any other Weasleys or Potters. It's just the way I was raised.  
But, it wasn't that easy. In fact, knowing I was supposed to be invisible to you made it even harder to stay away. Every now and again you would just pop up – we'd be paired up in class or something like that. And so..." he gulped nervously; trying to ignore Rose's baffled expression.

"I had no choice but to... give you a forgetfulness potion. Not a strong one, but strong enough to make you forget every interaction and detail about me for the whole week. It's adapted so you only forget me, not every aspect of your life. At the end of every week, you receive a small glass vial of the potion and once you've drunk it, it disappears so you can't remember drinking it, and you forget me. But as it's fairly weak, every time we interact, you start to remember more about me, and I have a feeling that your memories get even stronger through eye contact and physical contact."

He immediately felt stupid and guilty. Why did he have to go to such extremes so that Rose didn't know him? It seemed so ridiculous, but his parents had assured him that it was for the safety and wellbeing of his entire family. The reasons being were a complete mystery to him though, whatever they may be. Her eyes were full of distress, but true to her word, she kept her mouth shut. Scorpius now felt so ashamed of what he'd been doing that when he spoke next, it was no more than a whisper. "The potion completely wears off when I no longer want you to forget me... And I don't want you to forget me Rose." Her eyes widened in realisation as a thousand forgotten memories flooded her mind. She dropped his hand rapidly and rose to her feet, backing away.

"I know you. I_ know_ you!" She pressed her hands to her head, as Scorpius jumped to his feet coming towards her.

"Rose, please, it was for your own good too. I don't know why, but it was for the best, trust me! But I don't want this to go on anymore. I want to be in your life properly. I want to know you!" he pleaded. She continued to back away.

"I _know_ you" she repeated, deep in thought. And she stopped with such suddenness that it caused Scorpius to stop too. She stared deep into his eyes, searching for more memories.

"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy – You're a Slytherin in your fourth year at Hogwarts, first son and eldest child of Draco Malfoy and Astoria Greengrass. You have a younger sister named Serephina, who's in her second year – she's in Ravenclaw. You're best friends with Albus Potter and your favourite teacher is Professor Bobbin. Last week you were selected as the new seeker on the Slytherin Quidditch team. You have a Firebolt. Your favourite subject is Defence against the Dark Arts. At the end of your second year you chose to take Arithmancy and Divination, although you despise both. You're a pureblood and come from a long line of wealthy and successful, pureblood witches and wizards. You don't like to show your emotions but you're perfectly willing to fight and argue for what you believe in. Your birthday is 17th December, meaning you're 15 years old. Your favourite colour is green. And... and..."

And then she burst into tears, burying her head in her hands. The sudden knowledge of this one person she'd barely known before tonight was far too much to handle intellectually. Scorpius rushed to her side after a brief moment of complete shock and surprise about how accurately she knew him and she grabbed a handful of his robes manically, attempting to calm herself.

For a moment her sobs seemed to die down and her head was spinning... spinning... spinning... spinning. Taking a deep breath in between her gulps she opened her mouth to speak, and that's when she collapsed into Scorpius' desperate clutch, the world fading into pitch black darkness...

* * *

_**Author's Note:** __I know it probably doesn't really make much sense at the moment, but it all gets explained properly later on in the story! I apologise if it's too weird or confusing :/_


	12. Flight of the Flower

**Chapter 12 – Flight of the Flower **

The first thing Rose was aware of was the soft, cushiony texture beneath her body. Was she conscious? Dreaming? Warily, she ran a hand along the thing she was lying on. It seemed to simply be a mattress. She was in a bed. And that's when she realised that whatever had happened last night, or at least what she'd thought had happened, had all been a dream.

There was a sinking feeling in her stomach and her chest felt very heavy, as if being weighed down by a large anchor. It was such an amazing dream though, but very confusing. Who knew her mind was so capable of creating such complex story lines. How odd... So when had Rose began dreaming? Had she dreamt up the whole ball, or perhaps even her whole time at Hogwarts? Was she even a witch, or was this some elaborate fantasy? She felt her breathing increase rapidly and somebody was moving and talking next to her. If she could only open her eyes... And then she did.

She was unprepared for the intense light that she was met with and had to blink furiously whilst she adapted to the sudden change in brightness. Eventually the room she was in began to form into shapes, rather than a constant white light. Directly opposite her was a row of very precise beds - empty beds, with curtains that could be pulled around them. The whole room was very neat and big... and empty.  
That's when she remembered the person she had sensed next to her. Turning her head to the right, she was met with the frantic expression of a good-looking, brown haired boy who looked like he hadn't slept in days. He was sat on the edge of a seat next to her bed with tears streaming from his eyes, and his mouth was moving very quickly, although she could hear no sound other than her own thoughts echoing around her head. And all of a sudden she _could_ hear what he was saying.

"I should've never let it happen and you can't even begin to believe how incredibly sorry I am and I promise from now on I will never let him near you and I'll stay by your side forever and he'll never get away with this, whatever it was he did to you and Rose, oh Rose, please say something, anything?!" he gushed. Now this was very odd indeed. She knew this boy, Sam Tyler, and she was certain her mind would have never created someone as annoying as this to pester her when she was feeling so calm.

"Where am I?" Rose asked curiously, although now she was almost certain that she knew. Sam looked momentarily baffled, as though this was not the response he had expected.

"Err, Rose this is the hospital wing... Don't you remember what happened?" he asked, concerned.

"Mmm" she said in agreement, remembering exactly what had in fact happened. "I was dancing, and there was this boy." Sam Scowled at the mention of him. "And we went outside and he..."

Sam was now leaning forward in his seat, eagerly. "Yes, what did he do?" She didn't reply. "Rose, come on, what did Scorpius do to you?" he said slightly frustrated.

The mention of Scorpius' name made the weight in her chest lift slightly. "He told me..." and she remembered exactly what he had told her, about all the lies and secrets that had protected him, and supposedly her. She frowned slightly; for some reason, thinking of Scorpius didn't make her feel very good at all. In fact, the more she thought of him, the more dizzy she felt, and she was almost certain she was going to faint when she was grabbed, and shaken, rather rudely by Sam.

"What did he tell you?" He was getting very impatient now, which was extremely annoying. But before Rose could tell him to calm down and let go of her, a stony faced witch hurried over and demanded he leave at once, telling him Miss Weasley was in desperate need of rest and he was already told not to disturb her. Sam begrudgingly stood up and scowled at the witch. He flashed Rose an apologetic smile and promised to see her as soon as he could, before strolling out of the room with an angry expression.  
Rose was grateful for the witch's intervention and her mouth opened in shock. The witch now looked a lot happier and slightly dreamy as she set about smoothing Rose's sheets. Her long blonde hair and peculiar earrings looked so familiar...

"Luna?" Rose asked the witch, figuring out who she was.

The witch smiled at her. "Oh hello Rose" she said in a high pitched twinkly sort of voice. "But for the moment you have to call me Madame Lovegood I'm afraid" she said with a soft smile.

"But, I thought you got married" Rose queried, still feeling like she had dreamt up most of her life.

"Oh I am" she assured her. "But Madame Lovegood sounds a lot more appealing than Madame Scamander don't you think?"

Rose just nodded, slightly bewildered. "So what are you doing here at Hogwarts? Aren't you supposed to be travelling the world and stuff?" She began to worry that she had not only dreamt up her own life but also everybody else's. That's the way it seemed anyway.

"Oh I was, but Rolf and I are taking a bit of time out. I thought this way I would be able to see the twins for a bit and all of my un-biological children as well" she said smiling at Rose's confused face. "I've missed you all terribly you know. You and your brother and all your cousins are just like family to me as well my own children" she explained, acknowledging Rose's confusion. Rose remembered that Luna's twin boys, Lorcan and Lysander, had started their first year at Hogwarts this year. "Your Uncle Harry recommended me to the headmistress here and she was happy enough to have me come and help out in the hospital wing. She was very impressed with my discovery of gurdyroots being effective painkillers" Luna said drifting off and she began listing all the other medicinal uses of plants and animals she had discovered on her journeys.

Rose wasn't listening, but she felt it impolite to at least not pretend to. "Enough about me though" she concluded, seeing right through Rose's act of pretending to be interested. "Nobody knows what happened to you last night Rose. That handsome Malfoy boy brought you here – he was very scared but he didn't explain very much. Just that you were outside together and then you collapsed in his arms. That other boy has been here all night and all day, you know. He seems to think that Mr Malfoy attacked you into unconsciousness. He was very distracting and disruptive though, so I'm sorry that I had to send him away" she explained. Rose opened her mouth to explain what had really happened, and tell her that she was glad she had sent Sam away, but Luna held a finger to her lips silencing her.

"I don't need to know what happened Rose. You've been excused from all of your classes for as long as it takes for you to recover, which shouldn't be too long. You just need a lot of rest to recover your strength; to me all it seems is that you've experienced a bit of a shock. If all goes well, you should be able to return to normal later today" she finished her explanation.

Rose respected that Luna wasn't pressuring her into telling her what happened like Sam had. She didn't feel at all ready to relate last night's events to anybody yet. Without another word, Luna gave her a reassuring smile and walked over to a bed a few metres across, to attend a student who had somehow managed to turn their hand into a teapot. For a few minutes she listened as the girl wept the tale of how she'd managed to transfigure her hand during class and neither she nor the teacher had been able to transfigure it back. It was as Luna was administering a potion to her, when Rose's mind began to wander back to Scorpius Malfoy.

What was he doing right now? Was he thinking of her too? Had he made up the whole story last night? But the question that Rose thought about most, sent her into a deep slumber full of dreams of a blonde haired boy, catching her as she twirled straight into his arms; who do you love?

* * *

Before Rose knew it she was wide awake. How long had she been asleep for? Glancing around the room, she couldn't see Luna anywhere. In fact, she was the only one in the hospital wing at all. The girl with the teapot for a hand was long gone and it was eerily silent. It seemed to be quite dark outside the window. Was it evening already? Or even worse, had she been asleep so long that it was now the early morning and she'd missed her opportunity to escape for the day? Finding the silence and solitude too creepy to bare, Rose cautiously got out of bed. She was startled to find she was still in her golden dress from the ball. Her shoes however were nowhere to be seen. Not wanting to disrupt anybody, not that there was anybody to disrupt, she crept out of the hospital wing and out into the corridor.

Her worries were increased when she realised she hadn't been to the hospital wing very often and wasn't really sure whereabouts in the castle she was. Peering around corners and padding along the cold stone floor on her bare feet she eventually heard the faint sound of voices. It was a very distant dim, like a buzzing, but certainly voices. Following the sound, the noise increased until Rose found herself outside the closed doors of the great hall. So it was dinner time.

Without really thinking, Rose pushed open one heavy wooden door and entered the familiar, warm room. The noise immediately increased and she could even distinguish different voices and make out words from different conversations, but then just as dramatically, the noise level dropped as a thousand pairs of eyes turned towards her. She was suddenly very aware of the soft, sequinned material draped around her body and the smooth surface beneath her bare feet. Perhaps Rose should have thought more about what she was doing before she did it. As she took in the horrified faces of all the students and also the teachers, she understood how bizarre she must look. They probably all thought she'd gone mad.

She laughed by herself, breaking the awkward silence, but most likely confirming all of their suspicions. As nobody else spoke a word, she just laughed, a very outgoing, uncontrollable laugh. In her mind, she considered walking straight out of the door she'd just come in, but the enticing aroma of roast chicken kept her rooted firmly to the ground where she stood, still laughing like a truly mad person. Suddenly an arm was gripping her around her waist and pulling her firmly towards the Gryffindor table.

She was roughly pushed down onto the bench, and the noise level began to creep up again until Rose's entrance had been almost forgotten. The arm was released from her waist and a very concerned and embarrassed looking Albus, sat down next to her as she stopped laughing. James and Mason were sat across the table with half amused, half worried expressions, and on her other side, sat Taylor and Sam, the latter who began babbling on about how sorry he was that he didn't come and see her again and how concerned he was for her.  
She ignored Sam and began piling her plate, high with food, only just realising how hungry she was, after all, she hadn't eaten all day. After moments of silence, whilst she ungracefully stuffed her mouth with chicken and potatoes, Taylor was the first to pluck up the courage and ask what in hell's name she was doing stuffing her face, in her ball dress after standing in the doorway laughing like a total lunatic. Rose swallowed her mouthful, now feeling rather sick and began to retell every moment since she'd awoken that morning.

But then... "Ok, but what happened with Scorpius _before_ you woke up this morning?" Taylor annoyingly demanded. Several things happened at once – Albus blushed deeply, embarrassed, Sam leaned in eagerly, but with an aggressive expression and James and Mason smirked, rather irritatingly, sure to be conjuring a thousand taunts in their minds. But, very conveniently, the golden plates, filled with various different desserts and puddings, distracting everybody; everybody except Taylor of course. She continued to glare at Rose, as she pretended not to notice whilst filling a bowl with strawberries and thick, double cream. Taylor leant in so only Rose could hear her. "I'm not letting this go, Rose Weasley" she threatened.

With a sigh, Rose muttered through gritted teeth "I'll tell you later." Taylor looked satisfied and began filling her stomach with a combination of little chocolate cupcakes and a slice of strawberry tart. When the meal was over, everybody began to stand up and slowly make their way back to their dorms. Rose wandered, very self consciously through the crowds, with Taylor, Albus and Sam glued to her sides. Through the whispers and smirks coming from every direction, Rose heard a voice that made her head tingle and her heart beat rapidly.

Hurriedly, she searched the crowds for the owner of the voice and her eyes eventually settled on the boy that had been stuck firmly in her mind ever since she'd first laid eyes on him at the beginning of the ball. Scorpius Malfoy was still as beautiful as she remembered him, as she'd always known him to be, but never remembered until last night. He hadn't noticed her, and was instead chatting to a sand-colour haired boy whose name escaped her. Now that she thought about it, she recognised him as being a friend, or at least an acquaintance, of Scorpius'. Eagerly trying to catch Scorpius' eye, she was roughly bustled through the doors of the great hall and lost sight of him in the sea of people. Her heart sank.

Upon reaching the Gryffindor common room, all of her friends and family members had seemed to have forgotten of their conversation during dinner - everyone besides Taylor of course. With a vacant goodbye to James, Mason, Albus and Sam, she was whisked upstairs by Taylor who sat her down on her bed and demanded she tell her everything immediately. Ignoring Gwen and Janey who were already in the room and were eavesdropping unsubtly, Rose told Taylor every detail she could remember, ever since she'd walked into the hall with Sam at her side. Taylor sat patiently and listened intently whilst Rose retold the story and sat quietly as she explained every bizarre detail of what Scorpius had told her. When she was finished, Taylor nodded to herself.

"It makes sense now" she said. Rose cocked her hear and raised her eyebrow questioningly. "Well, whenever someone would mention Scorpius Malfoy you would just look blank, and you never acknowledge him or his friends in class. Even when Albus hangs out with him and talks about him you just always seemed to not know who he was on about" she explained. "I didn't think much of it then, but it's starting to all make sense."

Rose's eyes widened. "I know what you mean. Even talking about this now, I can remember all the times his name was mentioned and I just didn't realise who he was."

Taylor was lost in thought, looking very suspicious. "The question is, _why_?" Janey pondered aloud, startling Rose who had forgotten her and Gwen were also there, and had obviously just heard every single detail. "What's so dangerous about you that means you're not even allowed to know who he is?" Rose shrugged.

Taylor spoke again. "It just seems a bit farfetched to me. You have to talk to him and get the truth, you know. I mean, he's been slipping you an unauthorised forgetfulness potion for four years now. I'm pretty sure that's illegal – you could get him arrested for something like that" she suggested eagerly. Noticing Rose's horrified expression, she sighed. "But, of course you won't, because that's just not who you are...But I'm telling you, if you don't get the dirt behind all of this suspicious behaviour, then _I _will. And you know me – It will be blunt, and public, and embarrassing."

Rose agreed to do her best, but she had no intentions of seeking out Scorpius Malfoy any time soon. Taylor stood up and went to her own bed, as Rose dressed for bed and hung her golden dress up delicately. As she lay down, she blushed deeply, remembering the events that had occurred approximately 24 hours ago. And as she did, that one question sprung to her mind again - The one question that mattered to her much more than why it was so compulsory that she not know who he was: _Scorpius Malfoy, __who do you love?_


	13. Meeting Lily Potter

**Chapter 13 – Meeting Lily Potter**

Somehow amongst her whirring thoughts and dreams, the question had morphed into a desperate plea: _Please don't be in love with someone else. _Rose groaned. Why couldn't she get Scorpius Malfoy off her mind? Why didn't she want him to be in love with somebody else? He meant nothing to her. Or so she continually convinced herself. How could he possibly mean anything to her, after what he'd done?

"Find him and talk to him" Taylor ordered leaning over Rose as she opened her eyes. Rose jumped nervously – Taylor's face peering down at her was not the first thing she'd expected to wake up to!

"No 'good morning' then?" Rose asked irritably, pushing herself up onto her elbows as Taylor straightened up. How had she even known she'd been thinking about Scorpius?

"Fine, _Good Morning_" she replied huffily. "Now get up and go find him – I need to know what all the funny business is for."

"Taylor! It's like eight in the morning or something! I can't just go and hunt him down – I don't know where he'll be. And besides, what am I even supposed to say to him?" Talking to Scorpius was the last thing Rose wanted to do right now. She couldn't confront him after what he'd told her, no matter how curious she was.

"Hmm, how about 'why have you been slipping me an unauthorised and completely illegal forgetfulness potion for the past four years'?" she said sarcastically.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Why do you even care so much anyway?" She was still furious for Taylor having startled her.

"Do you even know me at all?" she demanded in a high-pitched accusation. "Have you forgotten me as well? If you knew anything about me you'd know how interested I am in politics and the ministry and the _law_"

"But Taylor" Rose sighed, "This doesn't have anything to do with politics... And I hadn't forgotten, I'm just tired alright."

"You know what I mean! It _is_ to do with the law – what he's been doing is illegal" she yelled furiously.

"I know, I know, you've told me enough times already. I want to know too and I _will_ find out. I promise. And I always – "

" – Keep my promises, yeah, yeah ,yeah, I _know_."

"Well then be patient and if I see him today then I'll ask, but he probably has Quidditch practise or – or something... And anyway, I need to go to the library."

"What about breakfast?" Taylor asked, finally satisfied with Rose's promise.

"Oh yeah. Well, I'll go after breakfast then and if, _if_, I see Scorpius I'll interrogate him – but I'm not going out of my way to find him!" she said finally.

* * *

Scorpius was glad it was the weekend. He didn't feel like he could cope with any lessons right now. His mind was far too crammed with thoughts of Rose Weasley. It was so eerie the way she knew so much about him... He obviously hadn't been too well at concealing himself for her to have known all of that about him. He decided he would immediately send a letter to his parents, demanding to know why Rose was such a threat.  
After all, they had been fine about him being best friends with Albus. Well, at least his father had been fine. His mother not so much... But she had at least finally accepted the truth after four years. He set off to the Owlery at a brisk march when something caught his eye and made him stop dead in his tracks.

He was certain he'd just caught a glimpse of wild red hair streaking across the corridor that lay in front of him. What if she'd seen him? But this was the first time Scorpius had seen Rose since the ball and her bizarre appearance at dinner last night. So as silently as he could, keeping close to the shadows casted off from the walls, he followed her. He was intrigued. She was alone. She was _never_ alone. She was always either with her friends – the tall, black girl, the geeky, short girl, or else the irritating, blonde one, or with Albus or James or the clingy boy, Sam Tyler. Where was she going to, all by herself?

His question was answered immediately as he followed her into a large room, crammed full with shelves and shelves of books. Scorpius rarely went in the library. It wasn't his cup of tea. Maybe he would start coming more often, he thought to himself as he ducked behind a book shelf, and peered out through it, surveying her as she selected a book.

He squinted his eyes in concentration, trying to make out the name on the brown, leather-bound book, delicately cradled in her arms. It all seemed to be odd symbols in strange formations and no matter how hard he focused on the title, he could make out no words. No English words at least. _Runes_ he decided. Most likely some highly detailed (highly boring), overly complicated book for her ancient runes class. He had to admire her dedication to her studies, but Ancient runes? Why would anybody willingly study something like that? If only he could understand what went on in her brilliant, but confusing, mind.

After flicking intently through a few of the chapters, Rose closed the book gently and turned in search for the Hogwarts librarian. No-no-no-no-no! Desperate not to let her leave his sight, Scorpius lurched forward in an attempt to follow her. As he jolted for an entrance between two book shelves, his shoulder crashed into an inconveniently large book, poking out of the row on that shelf. It toppled to the floor with an almighty CRASH, sure to draw unwanted attention to himself.

Scorpius cursed under his breath as he dived to the floor. So much for being sly and keeping a low profile. She was certain to have heard him, maybe even caught sight of him as he'd struggled to duck under the shelves. His mother's warning about keeping away from Rose rang in his head. Scorpius was already stretching the limits just by being in the same room as her. How could he have been so foolish as to think he could get away with this and keep up this act of hiding in the shadows? _Impossible._ He closed his eyes and squeezed them tightly. "Please don't let her have seen me, please don't let her have seen me, _please_ don't let her have seen me", he muttered desperately.

"She didn't see you", a small voice piped up to his right. Scorpius opened his eyes immediately and turned his head in the direction of the speaker. He found his gaze settling on a pair of soft, brown eyes. They looked kind and gentle and full of wisdom. He began to examine the rest of the girl, taking in each delicate feature. She had a pale, youthful face ending in a slightly pointed chin, greatly resembling a fairytale pixie. A few freckles were dotted around her face, which were hard to identify at first but became rather prominent if you examined her face carefully. Her lips were poised in a small but unmistakable grin. Something about that smile, made her look a tad mischievous. Her hair was a gentle auburn colour, not as vibrant as Rose's but still very pretty, and it hung, very straight and very neatly just above her shoulders, curving inwards at the ends to frame her face. Such a familiar face... but Scorpius was certain he'd never seen this girl before.

He drew his attention away from her face and acknowledged her tiny physique. He was suddenly very aware he was still on the floor; the oversized book flung open a few inches away from him. As the blood rushed to his cheeks, he stood up, brushing down his robes for no particular reason. How embarrassing to have been spotted by a first year, sat on the floor of a library talking to himself. Scorpius decided to head back to the dungeons, eager to escape this awkward situation, but before hurrying away he focused his attention back on the girl. She was watching him silently... curiously. How could such a young face appear so knowledgeable? Now stood up, she seemed even smaller to him than previously. Once again his eyes darted back to her face. The feeling of recognition returned.

"Do I know you?" Scorpius asked slightly hesitantly. For a while the pixie-like girl just stood there watching him, that mischievous little smile, unmoving.

"Lily Potter" she answered. Slowly, Scorpius began to understand. His own mouth formed into a friendly grin.

_Of course!_ he thought in his head. "That's quite a famous name", he replied.

"Yes. You know me indirectly then?" She spoke so formally. Not at all how a first year should speak. But this was no ordinary little witch.

_Who hasn't heard of you? h_is mind wondered. "Of course! You're Harry Potter's daughter – And Ginny's" he added. "You're a first year", he said proudly, feeling important. For the first time since Scorpius had seen her, Lily's grin quickly turned to a scowl. The look of fury that suddenly filled her face was so unexpected and so out of place that it looked almost comical, yet oddly frightening.

"I'm in my second year!" she exclaimed angrily. Oops. Scorpius felt like a fool for naturally assuming she was in her first year due to her petite size. She was _definitely_ the Potter's daughter. Both Ginny and Harry were known for their feisty attitudes and lack of ability to hide their anger at something. Or so he'd been told by his parents.

"Err I'm sorry", he added hurriedly. "It's just you look so..." he faded out. How could he say it without offending her feelings further? Young? Small? But suddenly her face returned to a neutral expression.

"It's Ok, I get it a lot". She paused briefly before saying "continue." Continue? Scorpius racked his brain to try and figure out what he had been saying before that regretful mistake.

"Oh. Err, yeah. Well you're James and Albus' little sister". She gave a nod of approval, urging him to carry on. And then it hit him. Realisation at last! It must have shown on his face, as Lily's expression seemed to be encouraging him to say the words they were both thinking. "Which means... You're Rose's..." He broke off as an odd sensation filled him. How could simply saying a name have such an effect on him?

"Cousin." Lily finished for him. "And you need my help. Desperately" she said glancing at the open book, still lying on the floor where he'd knocked it. And with that, she turned on her heel and strode towards the corridor at an alarmingly quick pace for such a small figure.

"Wait!" Scorpius called to her, startled by her abrupt exit. She stopped in her tracks and turned to face him, her face quizzical. "What do you mean?" She just stared at him with those innocent eyes. Without a word to him, she raised her wand and aimed it at the book.

"Wingardium Leviosa" The book floated up towards its slot between the other books, following the tip of her wand, closing itself as it went. It slotted itself in neatly between two smaller books and resumed its place, sticking out awkwardly, waiting for its next victim to slam their shoulder into it at an inconvenient moment. She gave him one last look before continuing to the corridor, the corridor which no doubt led to the Gryffindor tower. Although something about the way she acknowledged her surroundings seemed to lead Scorpius to the conclusion that young Lily Potter was in Ravenclaw...

Just as she was almost out of earshot, she hesitated and briefly turned her attention back to Scorpius. As a final comment she added "She likes you too - More than you think", before striding out of the library, leaving an awe-struck Scorpius standing awkwardly; a thousand different emotions darting across his face.


	14. Hogsmeade

**Chapter 14 – Hogsmeade**

The next morning, Scorpius was startled to find a wispy, silver robin perched on the end of his bed. How had a robin gotten into his room, in the dungeons? And what was it exactly – a ghost, he wondered. It cocked its head to one side inquisitively and flitted to the door of his dorm room. He watched it in amazement as it waited there patiently. But what was it waiting for? Realisation dawned on him and without thinking what this could possibly lead to, Scorpius dressed quickly and eagerly followed the strange, ghost-like robin.

Curiously he traipsed behind as the robin lead him through the castle, straight out a door and into the Hogwarts court yard. He was even more surprised to find Lily Potter waiting there with the robin perched affectionately on her shoulder. She was wrapped in her thick winter cloak, which made her seem even smaller than usual.

"Lily?" he asked in surprise, wondering what she possibly could have summoned him here for.

"Do you like him?" she asked fondly, indicating to the robin.

"Err yeah. What is it exactly?" he asked curiously.

"My patronus" she replied sweetly. _Of course._ Scorpius had vaguely heard of patronuses. He'd never even attempted to produce one. He'd never been threatened by a dementor, so he'd never learnt, nor cared how to use one. What he did know however, was that patronuses required a lot of powerful, advanced magic to produce – the kind of magic that second years like Lily Potter weren't supposed to possess. Scorpius felt a mixture of awe and inadequacy. But taking another look at Lily's tiny robin patronus, he wasn't entirely certain that it would hold out well against a dementor attack.

As if she could hear his thoughts, Lily broke the silence. "I only use it to keep me company. It makes me happy" she said with a cute smile. "I only really have one friend." Scorpius felt uncomfortable. What was he supposed to say to that? Upon inspecting her patronus in detail, Scorpius concluded that it was ideal for Lily Potter. They were both small and charming, quiet, independent and far more intelligent than they should be.

She smiled sweetly once more. "I just wanted to say that next weekend there's a Hogsmeade trip. I need you to meet me in the Three Broomsticks – we need to talk urgently. Like I said yesterday, you need my help."

"But you're a first year" Scorpius pointed out, confused.

"Second year" she growled.

Scorpius blushed. "Oh, err, yeah... sorry" he added hastily. "But, you can only go to Hogsmeade in third year... I mean, can't you?" he asked, quite unsure now. Had they changed the rules?

"Yeah" she said, her big eyes twinkling innocently. "I have my ways of getting in, undetected" she said slyly. Scorpius blinked in surprise. Lily Potter had not struck him as the kind of girl to be breaking school rules.

"Wait a second... isn't the next Hogsmeade trip on Valentine's Day?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yes" she said innocently. "Is that a problem?"

"Err no... Not at all" Scorpius replied guiltily. It wasn't like he had plans after all, but he wasn't entirely sure he felt comfortable meeting up with Lily on Valentine's Day; what if people got the wrong kind of idea? And he was not entirely sure of what they so urgently needed to discuss. What help did he need from her? He turned to ask her this, only to find she was gone. No trace of evidence proved that neither she, nor her robin patronus had been there at all. With a nervous glance over his shoulder he trudged back into the castle. Breakfast would be starting soon...

* * *

"Hey, Scorp!" Albus called, elbowing his way through the hordes of students gathering around to go to Hogsmeade. "I'm really sorry" he apologised, looking flustered. "But I promised James I'd go with him to Honeydukes and Zonko's. I've no idea why" he added, "I expect he only wants to borrow money" he said bitterly, with a scowl. "Hey, actually, you could come to!"

"Err, actually that's alright Al. I have plans – I was gonna go to the Three Broomsticks" Scorpius said hastily. Albus frowned unhappily.

"Oh ok" he said, the hurt in his voice evident. "Maybe I'll join you in there later then"

"Sure" Scorpius said, although he really hoped he didn't. He wasn't sure how Albus would take it if he discovered Scorpius had plans to meet his little sister, on Valentine's Day.

Several minutes later he walked into the Three Broomsticks. It was already extremely crowded and busy in there. No wonder Lily had wanted to meet there. Nobody would notice an odd second year amongst the rabble that filled the pub. The tight knot he'd been feeling in his chest loosened slightly. He found her easily enough, sat at a small table in the corner, all by herself. He sat down opposite her tentatively. She grinned at him keenly.

"How did you –" he began to ask her how she'd managed to sneak out, but Lily shushed him hurriedly.

"Doesn't matter" she replied hastily, but Scorpius could've sworn he'd seen the glimmer of an invisibility cloak stuffed in her bag. Although curious, he didn't press the matter further.

"So, err, are any of you friends here?" he asked, trying to make conversation as he wasn't sure what this was all about.

"I told you" she said a little impatiently, "I only have one proper friend. I believe you know her actually." Scorpius found this hard to believe. He wasn't sure her knew any second years. "She's in Ravenclaw like me" Lily continued. So she _was_ in Ravenclaw, Scorpius thought. It definitely seemed appropriate, considering how intelligent Lily obviously was. "Serephina Malfoy" she told him, with the edges of her mouth curling up into a grin, as is eyes widened in shock.

"My sister?" he asked, surprised. "You're friends with my sister?"

"The best!"

Well Scorpius certainly hadn't known that. He wondered if his mother knew... It seemed like Potters and Malfoys were all of a sudden destined to be best friends.

"But I'm not here to talk about your sister. I'm here to talk about my cousin."

"Which one?" asked Scorpius stupidly, although he was almost certain he knew exactly which one she meant.

"Rose of course" she said, narrowing her eyes. "I know you like her. I know she likes you. I know neither of you are going to make a move unless I intervene. Oh, and I know about the forgetfulness potion" she added.

"Look, I can explain" Scorpius began hurriedly, but she waved her hand, indicating for him to stop talking.

"I know why you did it, and I praise you – it was a very clever idea."

Scorpius sat there gobsmacked. How much exactly did Lily Potter know about what was going on?

"I assume you know _why_ your Mother's so keen for you to keep away from Rose."

"Err, no" Scorpius confessed sheepishly. "Do _you?_"

"Of course. Listen –" she continued, ignoring his extremely confused expression. "There's a prophecy. Two in fact; One claiming that a Weasley and a Malfoy will come together to end the family feud, the other claiming that a Weasley, or more precisely 'the flower from a Weasley girl' will bring danger and suffering to the Malfoys. Your mother has only heard one of them, and I think it's rather obvious which one" she told him icily. Suddenly it all made sense. Scorpius knew his mother had been seeing a seer; in fact he was certain that the day he'd been confronted about Rose was a day on which his mother had visited the said seer.

But Lily was ploughing on with her explanation. "Serephina and I, however feel that the first one seems more likely. The prophecy speaks of 'the flower from the Weasley girl' and a Malfoy boy, which can only mean you and Rose. And after observing both of you, it's pretty obvious that you're both crazy for each other. You just need to make the first move" she told him.

"How do you know all this?" She ignored him.

"You need to woo her."

But Scorpius' mind was racing. He and Rose were supposed to bring their families together? Well that seemed extremely unlikely. His mother despised the Potters and the Weasleys and he was certain that Rose's Dad returned the displeasure. His mother was so convinced that Rose was danger, she would never allow him to date her. And how could Scorpius be with Rose? After what he did to her, there was no way she was ever going to come near him again. And what was that Lily had just said, 'It's pretty obvious that you're both crazy for each other'. Was that really true? Had Rose been feeling the same way that he had?

"I don't honestly think she wants to be wooed by me" Scorpius confessed.

Lily sighed. "There's so much you don't understand about girls. Trust me – she's into you. But you're the boy, which means you have to be the one to man up and make the first move. You need to woo her" she repeated impatiently. Nobody had ever told Scorpius to man up before! And he'd certainly never been given advice on wooing by a twelve year old girl before.

"And how exactly do I woo her?"

"First, we need some gossip. Jealousy is the key to Rose's heart; to begin with anyway" she said more to herself than to Scorpius.

"Ok... But how do you plan on making her jeal– "

But before Scorpius could utter another word, Lily had cleared her throat loudly so a third year girl had looked over at them eagerly, and pulled Scorpius' startled head towards her, kissing him full on the lips for a brief moment. He pulled away in complete shock. What the hell had just happened!? This wasn't right! Lily was twelve and he was fifteen, and she was Albus' little sister!

"What in the name of Merlin's – " he roared at her, but she simply ignored him and took a sip of her butterbeer.

"That ought to do it" she mumbled, observing the third year who was now talking hurriedly to her surrounding classmates. "She's a notorious gossip. That'll spread nice and quickly."

But Scorpius was outraged! He didn't want that going around the school. What if Albus or James heard? What if Rose heard? He'd never have a chance with her then.

"Once Rose hears, she won't be able to bear the thought that you're into me and not her" Lily said proudly.

"But I'm not into you!" he yelled desperately.

"Well that's quite a harsh thing to say on our first date" she said irritably.

"First date!? WE ARE NOT –"

"Keep your voice down" she hissed, as a few people turned their heads curiously. "It's only gossip. Once Rose hears, you can swoop in and crush the rumours and win her over in the process. You need to talk to her. But she's going to be vulnerable and upset when she hears you kissed me."

"_You _kissed _me_"

"First you need to woo her though. And how do you plan on doing that?"

Scorpius' mouth gaped open. This was unbelievable. Once those rumours got back to Hogwarts, his reputation was going to plummet. Fourth years don't go around kissing second years, especially when the said second year is the said fourth year's best friend's younger sister.

Lily continued. "Ok, you're not very good at this are you? You need to send her flowers. But not, _not_ Roses, anything but in fact" she said with a shudder.

"But roses are romantic" Scorpius said in protest. "And as her name is Rose, won't it be even more romantic, and sentimental. You know – kind of more personal."

Lily glared at him. "That fact that her name is Rose does not mean that she adores roses. If a boy ever sent me lilies, he would go straight to the bottom of my list! It's not clever – it's tacky and not very imaginative. She'd hate it" she said firmly.

"So not roses then?" Scorpius asked uncertainly.

Lily considered for a moment. "I think one ought to do it. It's more romantic and secretive if it's just one anonymous rose. It will be personal and sentimental and she'll love it" she declared enthusiastically.

Scorpius just stared at her in disbelief. Lily Potter was a very confusing, but intriguing little girl.


	15. The Rose

**Chapter 15 – The Rose**

"Who do you think sent it?" Taylor asked in breathless wonder. Rose, Taylor and Gwen were stood in wonder in their dorm room admiring the single red rose that Rose held delicately between her fingers.

"I – I don't know" Rose replied, still in shock from her delivery.

"You sure there wasn't a note?" Gwen asked.

Rose nodded, although she wasn't really listening. She surveyed the rose in detail, admiring every detail of the beautiful flower.

"You don't think it was Sam do you?" Gwen suggested, but Taylor shook her head instantly.

"It couldn't have been could it? He wouldn't send an owl to her window when he could just hand it over in the common room" she said, nodding her head in the direction of the mysterious screech owl that was now perched on top of Janey's wardrobe. "Besides, let's face it – Sam is far too stupid to think of something so romantic"

Gwen chuckled, but Rose was still wonderstruck, never blinking in case her precious rose disappeared. Finally she broke out of her trance and turned her head in the direction of the owl.

"That's not Sam's owl anyway. I've seen his, it's a barn owl" she pointed out. Taylor eyed the owl suspiciously.

"So who –" Taylor began, but at that moment, Janey burst into the room, grinning keenly, obviously bursting with gossip.

She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped abruptly, noticing the rose that Rose was still clutching protectively. "Who's that from?" she said sharply.

"We don't know" Gwen explained. "But we know it wasn't Sam."

Janey marched over to inspect it, completely forgetting the gossip she'd come to tell them. "Nobody sent me a rose" she said sulkily.

"Janey, you got five boxes of chocolates today. _Five_. And a bottle of perfume from that first year kid!" Taylor reminded her. Janey didn't look remotely happier.

Gwen sighed. "Look, Mason didn't even get me anything" she said miserably. "I don't think he even knows it's Valentine's Day."

Janey looked extremely apologetic and promised to go and yell at Mason for her, but Gwen just laughed. "I'm not that worried. He's hopeless, but I don't need anything from him really. Although a rose would be nice" she said eyeing the flower hungrily. For a moment there was complete silence as the Gryffin-Girls stared wistfully at the rose, desperately trying to think who could have sent it.

Then Rose broke the silence, speaking in barely more than a whisper. "You don't think it was..." she hesitated, not wanting to get her hopes up, "Scorpius Malfoy?"

But Janey's eyes lit up at the sound of his name, remembering the gossip she'd been so keen to tell them earlier. "Oh I don't think so" she said mischievously.

"Why not?" Taylor demanded.

"It can't be – not after what I heard."

"Why? What did you hear?" Gwen prompted as Janey's mouth slipped into a sly smile. They were all leaning in closer now, eager to hear what Janey had heard.

"The fresh talk of the town is that Scorpius Malfoy is now dating Lily Potter!" she squealed. Taylor and Gwen looked horrified. "You mean Albus' little sister... Rose's cousin? Are you kidding?"

"She's only twelve, that's disgusting!"

But Rose was not able to open her mouth and utter any words. Deep within, her stomach was sinking into a pit of despair, and she felt the first tiny cracks burst, in her breaking heart.

"It's true" Janey confirmed nodding enthusiastically. "They were seen having a cosy chat together in the three broomsticks earlier today. Apparently he kissed her!"

Rose desperately wanted to say something, anything that could possibly explain why the two had been together in Hogsmeade - that it was simply an innocent business meeting. But there was no possible explanation for why her cousin would be kissing Scorpius Malfoy in the three broomsticks, alone, on Valentine's Day. When Rose looked up, she was startled to find all three faces staring at her sympathetically. She really wished they wouldn't; why should she care whom either Scorpius Malfoy or her little cousin Lily dated? She didn't, not in the slightest, and that was that. So why were they still all staring at her as though she did care?

"Rose..." Gwen began, as though she was going to express her sympathy.

"I'm fine" Rose lied impatiently, waving her hand absentmindedly and forcing a very fake smile. "Look, I'm really tired, so I think I'll just go to bed now" she said hurriedly, rushing over to her bed. Without changing, she sharply drew the hangings around her bed shut and slumped onto her bed, crying uncontrollably. How could she have been so foolish as to believe Scorpius Malfoy could have sent her that rose? Thanks to him, she barely knew him and he was a Malfoy after all. Her father had warned her about the Malfoys, but she'd been too naive to listen to his warning. And out of all the girls he could have chosen, why did it have to be Lily? She didn't know who she felt most betrayed by...

* * *

For the next few days, Rose tried to interact with anybody the least she could. She did not feel like talking to anybody, she just wanted to be by herself so she was free to study without disruption. Or so she told herself...

One particularly miserable day, weather-wise, the common room was so full that Rose couldn't bear to stay in there any longer. Gathering up her belongings, she quickly strode off to the only place she knew she could find solitude. Sure enough, the library was almost completely deserted. Settling down in a corner, she began arranging her books and pulled out a fresh piece of parchment to begin her potions essay for Professor Pocknoll. A small cough from directly in front startled her, causing her to drop her inkwell which smashed and ink began seeping over the floor.

"I'm so sorry" the cougher apologised quickly, waving her wand to clean up the mess. Rose sat on the floor, her mouth open in bewilderment.

"Serephina Malfoy" the girl said, extending her hand with a friendly grin. Rose shook it cautiously, eyeing the girl suspiciously. Her introduction was unnecessary; there was absolutely no denying that this girl was Scorpius' younger sister. Besides the fact that Serephina was a girl, had much longer hair, and was two years younger than Scorpius, they were practically identical. They had the same pale, pointed face... the same pale green eyes... and the same sleek blonde hair.  
Serephina's white-blonde hair fell very neatly and very straightly down her back, like a silky waterfall of hair. It was pushed back from her face by a simple blue alice band which matched the Ravenclaw tie hung round her neck and the Ravenclaw crest attached to her robes. She was very small, Rose could tell that even from sitting down.

"Err hi" Rose said nervously. Why was Serephina Malfoy going out of her way to talk to her in the library? "I'm Rose Weasley" she said feeling foolish. Serephina would surely know who she was, otherwise why would she have come to talk to her?

Serephina smiled politely though. "May I sit here?" she asked, innocently pointing to the spot on the floor where ink had been spilt moments before.

"Sure..." Rose said a little sceptically. There was hardly anybody else in the library apart from them. Serephina could sit wherever she wanted, so why did she have to sit right next to Rose? She was painfully identical to Scorpius. Rose considered going back to the common room, but remembering how crowded and noisy it had been, sitting next to Serephina seemed the better option.

"I'm best friends with your cousin" Serephina piped up as Rose began scanning her potions text book.

"Are you really?" Rose asked half-heartedly, more focused on her homework. She neither asked, nor cared which cousin she was referring to, trying to make it clear that she was busy and did not wish to be disturbed.

"Mmm" Serephina agreed. Either she didn't realise that Rose was trying to ignore her, or was purposefully trying to irritate her. Rose wouldn't put it past her – she was a Malfoy after all.

"Me and Lily are the best of friends" she said dreamily, strongly reminding Rose of Luna Lovegood, or rather Luna _Scamander_, as she was now married. Rose sat up quickly, too shocked to feign un-interest.

You and – and Lily?" she stuttered. Serephina nodded and then spoke in hushed tones, although Rose was fairly certain nobody was listening in.

"Listen Rose, what you're hearing about Lily and my brother – it's not true. None of it. Well, I suppose it is true that they met up in the three broomsticks on Valentine's Day, but it isn't what it seems. You have to understand that they're not dating – nothing whatsoever is going on between them, I promise you."

Rose was shocked into silence, a thousand questions swirling in her mind. "But... why were they together? And how did Lily even get into Hogsmeade – she's only in her second year!"

"It doesn't matter, Lily's crafty, and she has her ways. And she was only there to deliver a message" Serephina promised. This was not really true, but Malfoys were allowed to tell a little white lie every now and again. Rose however, was not convinced.

"What kind of message? Why couldn't she tell him in the castle?" Rose asked, very confused. What message could Lily possibly have for Scorpius Malfoy?

"It doesn't matter" Serephina said impatiently. "What does matter is this: Lily has no interest in Scorpius whatsoever, and he definitely, _definitely_ doesn't like her in that way. He's far too smitten with another girl" she said seriously. The tiny cracks in Rose's heart began to seal themselves slightly. So he didn't like Lily after all! But the fact still remained that he was in love with another girl. Her stomach sank further, like it was suddenly made of lead.

"Well I'm very glad to hear that, erm, Lily and Scorpius are not together. I don't think it would be entirely appropriate given the age gap..." What else was she supposed to say?

"I'm glad you agree. He does have a thing for redheads though" she said with a wink. Rose's heart suddenly lurched higher.

"Does he? Well that's nice for him" she said very tight-lipped. Why did it matter? If Scorpius was so smitten with another girl, why was Serephina taunting her like this? Had she come over simply to rub it in her face? But Serephina's pale, youthful face was stretched into an expression of great anger rather than gloating.

"Do you really not understand?" she demanded furiously. "Do I have to spell it out to you?" Rose was stunned into silence. Never had a second year shouted at her like she was stupid before. How insulting! Rose was on the verge of standing up and marching out of the library, but the way Serephina glared at her, kept her sat exactly where she was, for fear that if she dared leave now she would be ripped to pieces.

"Scorpius is in love with _you_" she said slowly, her expression turning back to one of calmness. "Well maybe not quite in love with you... yet. But he certainly fancies you. Who do you think sent that rose?"

Rose neither asked, nor cared how Serephina knew of the rose she'd received on Valentine's Day. Her heart was now beating uncontrollably fast in her chest, so much so, that she feared it would burst at any second.

"There's a lot you need to know" Serephina told Rose calmly, almost dreamily again. "Let me explain everything..."

* * *

_**Author's Note: **I know Scorpius doesn't have a little sister... but in my story he does! :)_


	16. Confessions

**Chapter 16 – Confessions**

Everywhere Scorpius went he was certain that people were whispering about him. _You're_ _just paranoid_, he tried to convince himself. He was furious with Lily for what she'd done. He didn't understand in the slightest how this was supposed to help him with Rose. If she did care for him, which he highly doubted, then surely she would be furious?  
But he hadn't seen her since the library incident. He tried to imagine how he would feel if he heard that Rose had kissed his cousin... but he didn't have a cousin at Hogwarts, and the thought of Rose kissing anybody made him sick.

He was perfectly capable of handling this situation by himself. He most certainly did not need some silly little second year girl to help him out, and by the sounds of what Lily had said, his little sister Serephina, was interfering too. He was absolutely furious. But thank goodness Albus hadn't heard. He was always slow at picking up on things, and hopefully the silly rumours of him and Lily dating would die out. It had already been a week or so, and fewer people seemed to care, which was definitely a good thing.

The thing he was most dreading was Potions class. This was a class that he shared with Rose, and this was the first lesson that they would share in four years, where she was actually aware that Scorpius was in the same class. That constant feeling of guilt was tugging at his stomach as he thought of it. It was the lunch break now, but in an hour he would have to face her. How would she react upon seeing him? Would she ignore him?  
He would ignore himself, if he was in Rose's situation. In fact he would probably punch himself after what he'd done... Maybe he could pretend to be ill and go to the hospital wing. He was sure that he could convince Albus to hex him really badly, but then he would have to tell him everything about Rose and the forgetfulness potion, and the prophecies, and his feelings for her. That was a conversation he didn't want to share with anybody, let alone Albus.

He was so deep in thought as he strode down the corridor, that he wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to where he was going. If he had then he would have known that he was not going towards the dungeons as he had meant to, but vaguely in the direction of the Gryffindor tower. In fact, if he had been paying attention at all, he may not have collided with the wild, red-haired girl that had just run round the corner in a state. But he wasn't... and he did.

"I'm so sorry" she apologised instantly. "It was completely my fault – I just wasn't looking where I was –" she stopped suddenly, realising who she'd just run into, "– going" she finished meekly, her heart racing wildly.

Scorpius straightened up, clutching his nose, which the girl's forehead had smashed into painfully. He was angry enough as it was, what with stupid girls not looking where they were going, and crashing into him. He opened his mouth to yell at this girl for being careless, but he couldn't do it. As he looked into the deep blue eyes of Rose Weasley, he was suddenly left speechless, his mouth gaping open like a goldfish. Still clutching his nose, he could feel something damp and sticky beneath his fingers. This could not be happening. He was not standing in the corridor clutching his bleeding nose as Rose Weasley stared at him helplessly. _This could not be happening_.

"I – I – I – I 'm so sorry" she stuttered in complete disbelief. This could not be happening. She had not just run round the corner, straight into Scorpius Malfoy with such force that she'd given him a nosebleed. _This could not be happening._ But it was... Oh, it was indeed.

"I'll take you to the hospital wing" she practically screamed at him. Why did she sound so shrill, Rose thought desperately? Why couldn't she talk normally?

"No, really I'm fine" Scorpius lied, doing his best, and failing miserably, to contain the blood flowing from his nose. But before he knew it, Rose was dragging him to the hospital wing, a frantic look upon her freckled face. Scorpius didn't think his palms had ever sweated so much in his life.

Ten minutes later, they were both sat in the hospital wing. Rose was blushing furiously and her eyes kept darting around the room so that she could look anywhere other than at Scorpius. Scorpius was watching her intently, his nose now back to normal.

"You just need mopping up" Luna told him. "Just to clean the blood off your face." She gave Rose a meaningful look. "Rose, why don't you do it for him" she suggested, tossing a damp cloth towards Rose. Rose caught it looking panic-stricken. What was Luna playing at? There were plenty of spells for getting rid of dirt or blood from somebody's face. "I'm just going to pop into the office for a bit" she said indicating to a closed off area of the ward. "You two can go back to class whenever you feel ready. Although perhaps it would be best if you stayed here for a while, just until the shock passes. Take as much time as you need – there's no hurry" she said with a wink in Rose' direction, before hurrying off immediately.

The two sat in an uncomfortable silence, neither knowing what to say to the other.

"Here, let me help" Rose said, blushing deeper. She stood up and leant over Scorpius' face, dabbing at the blood stains by his nose. She took her time, not wanting to hurt him, although she knew Luna had done a fantastic job and he would be in no pain. She wiped the last drop off tenderly and for a moment, their eyes locked. The same connection that they'd shared when they'd first locked eyes at the ball was back, but now it was so much stronger. Rose was suddenly aware of how close their faces were. She could see every tiny detail of his face. She could count every subtle colour in his perfect, entrancing eyes. She had the strangest desire to kiss him. There were barely a few inches between them. One small movement to close the gap was all that was required. Just one small movement to press her lips to his...

She leant back quickly, and retreated a few paces for good measure. What stupid thoughts. She couldn't just kiss him after making his nose bleed. That was completely inappropriate, and besides, whatever Serephina had told her, she was certain that he did not want to kiss her. She was blushing so much that she felt sure that all the blood in her body was now in her cheeks.

Scorpius was staring at Rose longily. He'd felt sure that she was about to kiss him... why would she though? She'd looked horrified at being so close to him. He couldn't really blame her though.

"I know about the prophecies" she said suddenly, very unexpectedly, turning back to face him. "Serephina told me" she said quietly.

"The, err, prophecies?" he asked.

"About... ending the family feud and... and stuff..." she trailed off looking embarrassed.

"Oh... yeah. Your cousin Lily told me about, err, _that._"

"Lily?" she asked quickly.

"Umm yeah... in Hogsmeade. But that was all that was" he assured her quickly. "She asked me to meet her there so she could tell me about these prophecy things..."

"Oh" she said quietly, looking relieved "So you, umm, didn't kiss her? It's just something that I heard..." she said quietly, dreading the answer.

"Of course not!" Scorpius said quickly. He gulped. It wasn't strictly a lie. After all, he hadn't kissed Lily – she had kissed him... Neither of them said anything for a while. The silence hung around them hauntingly.

"Thank you for the rose" she said affectionately. "Serephina told me" she explained. Scorpius was mortified. That rose was supposed to be anonymous! It was supposed to be secretive and romantic. He was going to kill Serephina as soon as he got out of the hospital wing.

"I err – it was Lily's idea" he said lamely. She looked slightly disappointed. He groaned internally. Couldn't he do or say anything right? But then to his immense surprise, she began to laugh. It was a warm, adorable laugh that made him grin from ear to ear, without really knowing why.

"They're a lot better at this than we are, aren't they?" she giggled. He nodded, some of the embarrassment slipping away.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think they are."

"Do you – I mean, would you like to err, maybe, go outside?" she asked messily. "It's such nice weather" she said gazing out the window, thankful that she could get her words out properly now. "I don't think anybody would miss us..." Normally, Rose would have been horrified if anybody had suggested they skive off of lessons to go stroll around the grounds. She couldn't quite believe that the words had come from her own mouth, but the idea of walking hand in hand with Scorpius whilst the sun shone down upon them was too tempting to resist.

"Sure" Scorpius replied, standing up eagerly.

A few moments later, Rose and Scorpius had crept out of the castle, particularly paying extra attention when sneaking past classrooms. Finally they burst out into the open sunlight, laughing contently like best friends. Rose had never felt so reckless, and she loved every bit of it.

"We should do this more often" Rose exclaimed breathlessly, after they'd run a sufficiently long enough distance away from the school. They slowed down and began to walk the edge of the lake, watching the sunlight bounce off it cheerily. Rose had not remembered holding Scorpius' hand, but she was suddenly very aware that their fingers were intertwined.

"What, skive off of lessons?" Scorpius asked, raising an eyebrow. He thought Rose would have disapproved of this greatly. Perhaps there was so much more he needed to learn about her.

"No!" she yelped, looking panic-stricken for a brief moment. "I mean, _this_" she explained, raising their clasped hands, "just not – not in lesson times."

"I think that's an excellent idea" he said, beaming down at her. She turned red immediately.

"But first, I think we should talk about, well _you know_" she said staring at him meaningfully. Scorpius did not know though. She acknowledged his blank expression and rolled her eyes. "_Forgetfulness potion_" she prompted with a stern expression, thinking that Taylor would be proud of her.

Scorpius dropped her hand immediately, turning a very pale shade. He looked oddly ghost-like as the sun bared down on them. "I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am, Rose. It was stupid, it was a mistake." She didn't say anything, only looked out across the lake. Scorpius cursed internally. He couldn't even begin to express how much he regretted what he did. "I mean, I guess now I know why my mother thought you were _dangerous_" he said with a nervous laugh, "and I was just, scared I guess. I'm not a Gryffindor like you. I'm not brave, ok? I didn't know what to do; I panicked."

When she didn't say anything again, didn't even look away from the rippling surface of the water, he sighed loudly, wishing he knew what she was thinking right now. "Are you... angry?" he asked innocently, trying to prompt an answer from her.

"Yes" she replied coolly, continuing to face the opposite direction. Finally she turned her head to look him straight in the eyes. Scorpius felt his knees go weak. "Because" she continued, "thanks to you, we lost nearly four years together."

His heart gave a particularly large jolt inside his chest, unsure of how to respond. But it turns out he didn't have to. "How did you do it?" she asked wondrously.

"Do what?"

"The forgetfulness potion" she said, rolling her eyes. "Tell me about it."

He stared at her, utterly perplexed. Was this some kind of joke? "I mean it. I'm genuinely curious!" she promised.

Scorpius was not convinced. This had to be a trap. "Well" he began nervously, "After we had that first potions lesson together, I knew it was gonna be a lot harder to avoid you than I thought. And like I said, I panicked. I didn't know what to do, but I didn't want to let my parents down." He took a deep breath, glancing nervously at her expression, which appeared to be fascinated. "And then when we had that lesson on forgetfulness potions, it came to me. Pocknoll said they weren't too difficult to make, and then when we did make them in that lesson it was a piece of cake. It was quick, it was easy, I had easy access to all the ingredients, and it was effective."

"But how did you adapt it so that I only forgot you?" she asked curiously.

"Well, I didn't know if it would work in exactly the same way, but I'd heard of this potion called Polyjuice potion where you can assume the appearance of somebody else, by drinking a complex potion with a part of them – usually a hair. And so I wondered what was happen if I added one of my own hairs to the potion."

"Of course!" she muttered under her breath, looking deeply impressed.

"It was a big risk – I don't know what I would have done if it hadn't worked or if it had gone wrong or something." He shuddered as the feeling of guilt returned to his stomach.

"Truly incredible! And how did you get me to drink it?"

"Well, that was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I found a spell that makes objects vanish once you've used them, and I managed to put it on a vial full of the potion. I labelled it and sent it with one of the house-elves from the kitchen to your common room and I don't why, but I guess you drank it. And then once you'd drunk it, the vial disappeared and you forget about it... about me" he said a little shakily. "And I'd been doing it ever since" he said guiltily.

She looked extremely impressed. Deeply amazed by what he'd done, not appalled in the slightest as he'd assumed she would be. "I remember now" she said looking thoughtful. "That was the day I'd had a cold and Taylor said she'd get me a potion from the nurse so that I could finish my homework... And when I went into the common room, sure enough there was a potion addressed to me and I just assumed it was my prescription. And every week when I saw it again, I had the strangest feeling that I was supposed to drink it... I didn't know why, I just knew I had to" she said wistfully.

"I'm sorry Rose" he said quietly, just hoping that she would forgive him.

"Please promise me something Scorpius" she said politely.

"Anything" he vowed.

"Never give me a forgetfulness potion again."

He laughed. "I swear that I won't. It's really not worth it anymore. It wasn't worth it in the first place... and now I've gone and wasted four years" he scowled regretfully.

"Scorpius" Rose piped up after a brief silence, clearly still questioning him. "Why do I know so much about you?"

Scorpius had been wondering this too. "I guess it's just things you pick up from conversation, even if you don't realise it. I'm sure you'd know just as much about anybody else in our year, but the ability to suddenly remember me, brought back all the memories and knowledge you'd ever had of me, and it just made it seem a little frightening, I suppose."

She considered this. "Hmm, I guess you're right."

Scorpius decided to pluck up some courage, feeling more confident with every step. "Did you ever get that feeling, whenever we looked at each other that, you know, there was a sort of, _connection_ between us?" He immediately regretted what he'd said.

"Yeah" she said smiling to herself. "It was odd. Because I felt like somehow I knew you, although at the same time I'd never seen you before in my life... And I just knew there was something different about you; something special."

"We make an odd couple!" Scorpius chuckled as they continued to stroll round the water's edge. Rose stopped abruptly, startling Scorpius.

"Couple?" she asked, looking fierce.

"I – I didn't mean it like that!" Scorpius said hurriedly. He hadn't meant to say that out loud. He'd surely blown it now.

"Scorpius" she said seriously. "Just to make things clear... I don't want to be with you because some stupid prophecy says we have to be together to end 'the family feud'" she said angrily. Scorpius felt as though his stomach was lined with lead. This was too embarrassing to bear. She didn't want to be with him...

"I want to be with you" she continued in the same serious manner, "because I really like –"

"Ahaa!" wheezed a voice from behind the two of them, a gnarled old hand clasping both of their shoulders. "Sneaking out of lessons are we? Well we can't have that now. Not at all."

Rose and Scorpius turned in shock to find themselves staring into the grimy face of the caretaker Argus Filch.

"No we just –" Scorpius began, furious with Filch for interrupting what he had been sure was a confession that Rose liked him. But Filch was already dragging them roughly back towards the school, muttering under his breath and every now and again letting out a devious, wheezy laugh.

"Well, now then" he said releasing the two of them once they'd set foot in the castle. "I'm afraid to inform you that this kind of disgusting behaviour, sneaking off into the grounds during lessons, will earn the pair of you a well deserved trip to detention" he said with a foul grin, before cackling delightedly.


	17. Neville's Confrontation

**Chapter 17 – Neville's Confrontation**

Begrudgingly, Rose and Scorpius were marched in the direction of Filch's office. Rose kept glancing around anxiously – she'd never gotten a detention before; what would her parents think of her?

Scorpius, on the other hand, was scowling bitterly, longing to hex Filch so badly he'd never be able to walk again. A perfect moment ruined by such a foul piece of scum... Filch would pay for this later.

As the odd trio continued through the castle, hordes of students began swarming into the corridor from the various classrooms. Evidently, lessons had just ended. Filch muttered angrily under his breath as students pushed past them violently.

"Rose, Rose – Hey Rose! ROSE!" a voice bellowed from amongst the crowd. Rose lifted her head sharply, scanning the crowd for the owner of the voice. Albus Potter elbowed his way through the sea of students and came to a halt in front of Filch, panting heavily.

"Get out of the way boy!" Filch bellowed lividly, trying to barge past Albus.

Albus squeaked, looking anxious. "Please Mr Filch, err sir. It's urgent – Professor Longbottom wants to see Rose immediately. He says it can't wait."

Filch growled angrily, his eyes full of hatred. "Very well then" he muttered through gritted teeth. "But mark my words, any more sneaking out of lessons and I'll have the two of you thrown out of Hogwarts immediately!"

Albus looked puzzled at Filch's comment, and then realised suddenly that Scorpius was with them. "Scorpius?" he asked uncertainly, not at all sure why he was there.

"Err hi" he said awkwardly. "Let's go" he said with a quick glance at Filch and then dragging Rose off by the hand. Albus followed at a quick pace as Filch was swallowed up by the bustling crowd.

"Al do you have any idea why Professor Longbottom wants to see me?" Rose asked with a tight knot in her stomach. He must know that she'd snuck out of lessons. What if he wrote a letter to her parents?

"Err no, not really" he admitted. "He just asked that I find you and bring you to his classroom."

"His classroom? Why not his office?" she asked.

Albus shrugged, and the three of them ran through the corridor until they came to a stop outside Neville's Herbology classroom. She had not been in it often. They were nearly always out in the greenhouses during lessons.

"Err, should I go?" Scorpius asked uncertainly. He had not been summoned after all.

"Of course not" Rose snapped, clasping his hand tighter. And without knocking, Rose pushed open the door to the empty classroom.

Only, it wasn't empty; Quite the opposite in fact. There were so many people in there that they probably wouldn't have been able to all squeeze into his office. Janey was perched on the edge of a table, looking particularly sulky with her arms folded tightly and her back to the rest of the room. Gwen was stood closest to Rose, with a sullen expression. Mason stood by her side, looking unconcerned in the slightest. And James was stood next to him, looking absolutely delighted. He had that same mischievous grin that just seemed to be permanent with him.

Taylor was leaning against the wall at the front of the classroom, blushing furiously and eyeing up the other person in the room. Professor Longbottom was stood slightly in front of her, completely oblivious to her longing gaze, and looking very authoritative in his neat black robes. It was apparent that they'd had all been in a tense silence, seemingly waiting for Rose to arrive.

Professor Longbottom looked up as she entered the room and gave a polite smile. "Ahh Rose, at last. Come in, come in" he said cheerily.

Rose closed the door nervously, Albus and Scorpius just behind her. "What's going on?" she asked Gwen as she was closest to her.

Fury seemed to be building up in Gwen's eyes, but she seemed determined to keep calm. "Ask _her_" she growled through gritted teeth, throwing an accusing look at Janey.

"What's going on?" Rose repeated, this time directing her question to Janey. She didn't so much as look round. "Janey?" Rose prompted, completely bewildered as to what was going on.

"Let me explain" Professor Longbottom said, slicing through the tense silence that followed Rose's question. "You, Taylor, Janey and Gwendolyn shared a room with Evangeline Amberry up until Saturday, correct?" Out of the corner of her eye, Rose noticed Taylor blush as he said her name.

Rose nodded, suddenly understanding. They were being punished for kicking Evangeline out. What if they were expelled?

Even when Neville was being serious, he had the warm kind gleam in his eye. He next spoke in a much friendlier, almost sympathetic tone of voice. "What happened girls?" Nobody replied. Rose dropped her gaze to the floor, hanging her head in shame. "You know I recommended you girls to host Evangeline when we first discussed her arrival? We had a staff meeting, and Professor Bobbin wanted to put her in with some sixth year Ravenclaws, but I fought for you, because I knew you could do it. I'd seen how you came together over the last three years, and I thought having Evangeline in your dorm would bring you closer together, as well as making her feel welcome."

He paused. Rose lifted her head slightly and peered through her curtain of red hair. Taylor looked close to tears. Gwen still looked furious. And Janey still looked uninterested in the whole discussion.

"So" Neville said, clearing his throat. "What happened girls?"

"We hated her" Janey said suddenly, snapping out of her sulky phase.

"_You_ hated her" Gwen yelled immediately. Janey opened her mouth to retaliate but Professor Longbottom interrupted quickly.

"Janey" he said warningly. She pursed her lips and proceeded to cross her arms again in fury. "What happened?" She blinked in surprise, as though he was tricking her. As though she had not expected him to listen to her tale.

"She hated us. She didn't even try to fit in. She acted like we were dirt, in our own room, in our own school, in our own country!" she spat as though she considered Evangeline to be the only dirt involved. "We didn't get on with her and she was just irritating, so I stepped up and asked if she could be moved."

Rose expected Gwen to jump in and contradict what Janey had said, but to her surprise she merely stood still, gazing around the classroom as though nothing interesting was happening.

"Ok" Professor Longbottom said calmly.

"Ok?" Janey demanded. Apparently this was not a suitable reaction to her confession.

Rose jumped in quickly. As kind as Neville was, she didn't think yelling at a teacher would help Janey too much. "You made a mistake. It doesn't matter – Evangeline will be happier without us anyway" Rose told her, offering a smile. But it seemed Janey had only heard one word.

"Mistake!" she shrieked. "Mistake! Don't act like I'm the only one that hated her." She glared at each of the Gryffin-Girls in turn. "So this is how it is, huh? I confess and you all turn your backs on me? So what, you're taking her side?"

"Janey, you're the only one that demanded she leave. You seemed to be the only one with a problem with Evangeline. The others were doing their best. I warned you to clean up your act months ago" he said, suddenly vicious.

"Look. I tried my best to help _her highness _fit in but I've got my own problems to-"

"Oh _please_" Gwen snarled. "Don't try and make any excuses – you've been nothing but selfish and mean since she's arrived."

"That's a lie! You think you're so great just because you're dating _him_" Janey yelled, narrowing her eyes at Mason. "Why is he even here anyway?" she demanded of Professor Longbottom.

Neville sighed, but Gwen was by no means finished with her rant. "This has nothing to do with Mason! I've had to deal with you for four years now! Four years I've put up with your insults - your gossip – your nagging – your endless _bitching_!"

"Ok Gwen, that's enough" Neville said loudly as Janey opened her mouth to retaliate. "And Mason, why _are_ you here?"

Mason had a baffled expression on his face as if he was asking himself the same question. "Leave him out of this" Gwen growled aggressively at Janey, quite forgetting that it had been Professor Longbottom who had asked the question. "He's here for support. I didn't realise it was going to take this long."

"You're only dating him because he's on the Gryffindor Quidditch team" Janey piped up, rejoining the argument. "You think it will boost your popularity, but let me tell you something he's nothing special and-"

"Are you really that stupid?" Gwen demanded. "I'm on the Gryffindor Quidditch team myself! _And _I was dating Mason before Quidditch tryouts had even been announced. Besides, unlike you, I don't need a boyfriend for my own selfish gain of needing popularity. And I can remember my boyfriend's name" she finished coolly.

Janey's eyes were blazing. "What's that supposed to mean!?"

But before Gwen could retaliate, James stepped between the two girls, throwing his arms up dramatically and said with exasperation "When are you two gonna stop fighting? Amusing as this is, there are better things I could be doing."

Gwen and Janey glared at him with a passionate hatred. "Stay out of this James – this is between Gwen and I" Janey growled.

James looked at her in amusement but this time it was Rose who spoke. "James, why are _you _here?" She tried to sound casual and curious, not aggressive as the others had been.

"Why shouldn't I be here? Mason's here and he hasn't got anything to do with this" he said casually.

Rose sighed. "Yes but Mason is only here because Gwen-"

"-Is his girlfriend" James finished for her. "And as Evangeline's boyfriend, I think-"

"Evangeline's what!?"

"-As Evangeline's boyfriend, I think I have the right to be here. More than he does at least."

Everybody in the room stared at James in stunned silence, including Professor Longbottom. Mason was the only one who didn't appear surprised. In fact he looked rather grateful that attention had been drawn away from him. James leant back on the edge of the desk, a smug smile spreading widely across his face. He looked extremely satisfied to have caused such a dramatic silence.

Rose's mind was whirring. Surely James had to be lying. Of course, he was no stranger to dating. James Potter was very much a ladies man, never settling down for too long – the male equivalent of Janey (in fact it was a mystery as to why the two of them had never dated each other before). But Evangeline was a princess. She'd never shown any interest in mingling with the boys at Hogwarts in that way before, let alone James Potter.

"You're not dating Evangeline Amberry" Janey stated coldly. It was an insult to be told that there was a couple she did not know about. After all, she was the queen of gossip.

James raised an eyebrow, with the smirk still stretched across his face. "Oh aren't I? Because when she asked me to be her boyfriend, I'm fairly certain I said yes. And I'm pretty sure you could call that dating."

There was another shocked silence. Albus looked as though he wanted to burst into tears, to fall from the room, and punch James into oblivion all at the same time. Janey opened and closed her mouth for a while as she desperately searched for something to say. She rather resembled a goldfish. Finally she said in an accusing tone, "You're lying." Something about the way her voice wobbled and the uncertainty in her eyes led Rose to believe that Janey was not entirely convinced that her accusation was truthful.

James' smile never faltered. "You can ask her yourself" he told her with a devilish grin.

"But why-" Janey began in protest, but she was cut short by Professor Longbottom.

"Look, James and Mason you can stay, providing you just sit and stay quiet whilst we sort this out. But Sam, I really don't see why you're here... I didn't send a message for you did I?"

Rose looked around in shock. She had not been aware that Sam was in the room. Sure enough, he emerged from the desk he'd been sitting at, at the back of the classroom. He looked panic-stricken and oddly flustered.

"If James is allowed here then I should be as well! I knew Evangeline better than he did!" Sam protested moodily.

This time Taylor spoke, joining the conversation for the first time. "I hardly think so Sam... not if James is dating her. You're only here because you overheard Professor Longbottom asking Albus to go and get Rose."

Sam blushed, avoiding Rose's gaze. "That's not true!"

"Oh _yes _it is" Janey snapped. "You're not exactly subtle are you Sam? You've always had the hots for Rose... but to me it looks like you're too late."

Neville, Taylor, Sam, Gwen, Janey, James, Mason and Albus all turned their heads to stare at Rose and the person that stood behind her – the person she had completely forgotten about with all the arguing.

"Malfoy?" James asked in almost a curious tone (but mostly accusatory). Sam had gone an even deeper red, this time out of anger.

"Err Scorpius?" Neville asked uncertainly, noticing his presence in the room for the first time, like all the others suddenly had too. Not knowing what to say, Rose turned to glance at Scorpius too. He had gone extremely pale and his eyes were wide – like a deer caught in the headlights of a car; like somebody being discovered in enemy territory without a weapon. Maybe that's exactly what he was.

"I was just err" he searched desperately for words. He couldn't tell them the truth – he would get Rose in trouble. "Well I was – I was with Albus and he – he said he had to come here and I was just err – just thought I would, well, tag along..." he trailed off. What a lame excuse. He needed an escape route quickly. "Look – I didn't mean to intrude. Really, I mean, I have nothing to do with this – this is between all of you and I'll just – I'll just be on my way then" he said, turning to reach for the door handle.

"NO!" Rose yelled a little too impulsively. "I mean..." What was she supposed to say? How was she supposed to cover that up? What a foolish thing to do...

"It's fine" Neville sighed, looking weary, "Scorpius you can stay. We're finished here anyway I think." He turned to address the girls, seemingly speaking directly to Janey. "Look girls, here's what I propose: Go and find Evangeline and just take her aside so it's just you and her and then, if you could just apologise for the way you acted, hopefully this will all blow over."

"Not apologising" Janey grumbled under her breath, crossing her arms across her chest stubbornly. Gwen shot her a warning look.

Neville looked fed up and exhausted. "Janey, don't be difficult. It doesn't have to be public – just as long as you express regret for your actions."

She looked ready to protest all afternoon and well into the night, but Professor Longbottom held up his hand to silence her. "I'm done talking about this now. We all have better uses for our time so let's not waste it by bickering."

Without another word from anybody, Neville strode over to the door and held it open politely as each student walked out. "I better go" Scorpius whispered to Rose as they emerged into the corridor. With a nervous glance at James, Sam and Janey, he hurried off down the deserted corridor. Rose watched him go with a sinking feeling in his heart.

Sam kept watching Rose miserably. His looks couldn't help but make her feel like she'd somehow betrayed him. There wasn't anything going on between Rose and Sam, and there wasn't anything going on between Rose and Scorpius. So why did she feel so guilty? And why did she feel such longing for the Slytherin boy who had just hurried from her sight?


	18. The Quidditch Match

**Chapter 18 – The Quidditch Match**

There wasn't a day when Rose Weasley wasn't on Scorpius' mind. But the uncertainty of where they stood was clawing at him from the inside. He had been so sure that she was going to tell him that she liked him, and he liked her too, so what was he supposed to do now? The Slytherins would frown upon him. The Gryffindors would probably hate him too. And as for his family... well, that was a road he definitely didn't want to go down. He couldn't bear to imagine the grilling he would get from James, the betrayed looks from Albus and the undoubtedly endless rage that he would receive from Rose's dad if he dared get too friendly with Rose.

But he couldn't fight the feelings he felt for her; the connection he was certain they had... They never had any time to see each other during the week following their little stroll around the lake. They saw each other briefly during a few lessons, but that wasn't good enough for Scorpius. He needed to make up for the three years he'd already lost.

Lily was still singling him out almost every day, much to his annoyance. He respected the young Ravenclaw's advice, but people had been giving him odd looks whenever she pulled him aside. He had not quite forgotten the rumours that had spread around the school of him and Lily dating. And if Rose ever saw them together then she would jump straight to the same conclusion, so he had to be careful. Lily's theory that making Rose jealous was the best way to win her over wasn't exactly the way Scorpius had planned to impress her.

There was one golden opportunity to impress approaching very suddenly, and that was the first Quidditch match of the season. They had been training non-stop and Scorpius felt they had a very strong team this year. But unfortunately, so did the Gryffindors – the team whom Slytherin would be playing in the match. Ever since James Potter had been playing on the team, Gryffindor had never lost a single match.

Rose had never seen him fly before though. He couldn't risk joining the team before – Quidditch players were always well-known, but this year he'd decided enough was enough. He'd always loved Quidditch and quite frankly the Slytherin team had been awful before this year. And there was no reason to avoid Rose anymore... Quite the opposite in fact. Scorpius was the seeker – he was vital to the team and if he let them down he would be despised by Slytherins everywhere. Now was his time to boost his popularity – to make more friends – to win Rose's heart. This Quidditch match meant everything to him.

Rose, on the other hand, was dreading the Quidditch match. She had never been keen on the sport. It was often extremely tedious and dull, not to mention absolutely freezing up in the stands. And weather had not been particularly good as of recent. She usually sat huddled with the Gryffin-Girls, although even that wasn't too enjoyable. Gwen was always so absorbed in watching the game that she never acknowledged the others, whilst Janey whined non-stop about the weather or the uncomfortable seats. Taylor was the only bearable one to chat with.

But now it was all different. Gwen was actually on the team this year; Janey had already pre-arranged to sit with her boyfriend of the week, and much to Rose's initial surprise, Taylor was commentating. Taylor was always keen on a bit of extra-curricular activities, but commentating a Quidditch match had never seemed like something she'd be into. It was much less of a surprise when she discovered that Professor Longbottom had been the one announcing the need for a new commentator (as the previous one was in the hospital wing). Taylor had leapt at the opportunity before anybody else could, eager to impress her favourite professor.

So with the other three girls all busy, that only left Sam. And Rose did not fancy the idea of spending a good few hours with him. He would no doubt interrogate her about what happened at the ball, and what was going on with Scorpius. Rose didn't even know the answer to that herself. And it was not the kind of thing she would feel comfortable discussing with Sam. With any luck, the match would only last around 10 minutes or so. That was wishful thinking, but what else could she do?

And so the morning of the first Quidditch match of the season, the students and staff of Hogwarts trundled down to the Quidditch pitch, wrapped tightly in their cloaks and scarves, barely able to move with the number of layers they were concealed in.

When the time came for the match to begin, Scorpius strode out onto the pitch with the rest of the team. He held his head high, trying to disguise the nervousness he felt inside and gripped the handle of his Firebolt tightly. The Firebolt was no longer the fastest broomstick in the world, there were plenty newer brands, but Scorpius had always admired the Firebolt above all others. It was just as much a part of him as his wand was; it had chosen him. He barely had time to glance around at the full stands or acknowledge the ominous grey clouds hovering above, before the whistle had blown and he was gliding through the air. He spotted Rose down in the Gryffindor stand sat next to the arrogant, jealous boy, Sam Tyler. Scorpius was filled with fury and vowed even more so to catch the snitch and draw Rose's attention away from him.

"Incredible isn't she?" Rose gushed as Gwen soared through the air, scoring the first goal of the match. "Who knew she was such a good flier?"

"Well what did you expect?" Sam asked, genuinely puzzled. "Her mother's Gwenog Jones!"

The name was familiar to Rose. "Gwenog Jones? As in Gwenog Jones from the Holyhead Harpies? The all-witch Quidditch team?"

Sam nodded, looking bemused. "Well yeah, she's retired though now. She's a single parent. How come you didn't know that?"

Rose shrugged, ignoring the question. But it was a fair point – why didn't she know that Gwen's mother was Gwenog Jones? She'd even met Gwenog Jones before, as her aunt Ginny had played for the Holyhead Harpies when she was much younger.

Gwen's mother aside, Rose was thoroughly enjoying the match. It was suddenly much more interesting now that one of her best friends was on the team. It made a change from watching James and Mason mess around and show off on their broomsticks. And of course, though she confessed to no-one how excited it made her, Scorpius was playing. Granted he wasn't doing much (seekers never did for the duration of Quidditch matches) but just the sight of him sitting majestically on his Firebolt, floating airborne above her head was immensely enjoyable.

"Woah" Sam said a little too unrealistically. "Did you see that amazing shot?" Rose broke her gaze away from Scorpius immediately, irritated that Sam was trying to draw her attention away from him. Sure enough, the crowd was cheering and Gwen was circling the pitch triumphantly.

"And err that brings the score now to 80-20 to Slytherin, err I mean Gryffindor! No, it's actually 90 now I think" Taylor's uncertain voice rang out. Taylor was hopeless at commentating – she didn't know the rules, she didn't know the scoring system or the correct Quidditch terms, and she didn't even know most of the player's names. Rose felt sorry for her; she was certain Professor Longbottom would not be signing up Taylor to commentate the next Quidditch match.

Trying to avoid catching Sam's eye, Rose scanned the Gryffindor stand. She spotted Albus a few rows down from where she and Sam sat. She never usually saw him at Quidditch games though she had never known why. But now it all made perfect sense. He was most likely usually sat with Scorpius in the Slytherin stands, and now that Scorpius was on the team, Albus had nobody to sit with. Rose was about to call out to him, when she noticed the direction of his gaze.

A few rows above Rose, sat Evangeline, tight-lipped and scowling. With a nervous lurch of her stomach, Rose realised that none of the Gryffin-Girls had yet done as Professor Longbottom requested. Slipping out of her seat, ignoring Sam's startled interrogation of where she was going, she hurried up to the Russian Princess.

"Evangeline" Rose whispered, trying not to attract the attention of the people sat around her. Evangeline looked around sharply at the sound of her name, and narrowed her eyes as she realised the whisperer was Rose.

"What?" she demanded angrily.

Rose gestured for her to come with her. Glancing around at the students beside her (who were too engrossed in the game to notice anything that was happening in the stands), Evangeline hesitantly rose from her seat and followed Rose to the stairs hidden within the stands.

"Why do you need me here?" Evangeline asked suspiciously, wondering if Rose was going to attack her.

"I just – I just wanted to talk to you in, err private" Rose replied trying to look as friendly as possible. "Why were you in the Gryffindor stands?" Rose asked without thinking.

Evangeline looked Rose up and down with disgust before finally answering in a dignified voice "I am supporting my lover."

"Your lover!? Oh... you mean James, right?"

She nodded, as though extremely bored of the conversation.

"Why are you – I mean, can I ask why you're dating him?" Rose couldn't help herself. She didn't understand in the slightest why Evangeline had chosen James for a boyfriend.

"Why shouldn't I? He is famous Harry Potter's son, no?" she asked, her strong Russian accent slicing through the air. Rose nodded, starting to realise what Evangeline's intentions were. "He is very famous too, very popular. And I too, have my admirers, and so we belong together. We will make headlines."

Rose was disgusted. It was the kind of despicable thing Janey would do. She had expected more from royalty. "So you're only dating him to make yourself more popular?" Rose asked coldly.

"Yes" she said simply, seemingly not seeing how appalling Rose found it.

"But don't you – don't you want to be with somebody you actually love?" Rose spluttered. Evangeline smirked at her.

"You might believe in love Rose, but I do not. I was engaged back in Russia. I had to leave my country, my family, my fiancé and with him too I left my love. All I have now is my dignity and my reputation. And James was more than happy to help."

Rose didn't know what to say. She'd wanted to be angry with Evangeline – to yell and shout – but the sorrow that swum in her eyes as she spoke of leaving her love behind, moved Rose in a way she had not expected. She was seeing a side to Evangeline she'd never known. Deep down behind the cold, hard outer shell beat a warm heart full of love and devotion. Rose couldn't help but feel sorry for her. And she knew James would have been delighted at the chance to be with Evangeline. It was obvious he didn't care for her in the slightest, but he was more than willing to boast about the fact that he was dating a Princess. It was all so clear to Rose now.

"Surely this is not what you wanted to speak to me about?" Evangeline asked suddenly. Rose just stared in confusion, forgetting completely what she'd actually wanted to say to Evangeline.

"Oh, no" she said hurriedly, suddenly remembering. "I just wanted to apologise. I wanted to tell you that I'm - I mean _we_ – are really sorry about what happened. We shouldn't have kicked you out."

"_We_ being?"

"Well myself, Gwen, Taylor and err, Janey."

"I find it very hard to believe that the blonde one regrets her actions and wishes to express apology to me. You, Taylor and Gwendolyn I could possibly believe." All the sorrow had left Evangeline's eyes, only to be replaced with the usual cold, displeased gleam.

"Well, she's not really used to having to share a room with more than three of us and she doesn't really know how to accept new people and-"

"Rose, believe me, it is fine" she interrupted, with almost the hint of a smile. "I am much happier where I am now, and I did not exactly try my best to fit in with you. But I appreciate you coming to tell me this."

Rose smiled in response. Evangeline wasn't so bad after all. In that moment, a deafening roar erupted above them. Was the match over? Who had won? With a friendly nod to Rose, Evangeline turned to ascend the stairs, but Rose instead hurried down the stairs so she was stood on the grass at the bottom of the stands. Watching the match from this perspective was very different. She suddenly realised how high up the players were actually flying. The clouds had apparently all melted away, only to be replaced by a clear blue sky with the sun dazzling up above.

And the reason for the extreme whooping was now apparent. The tiny golden snitch was flitting across the sky, a blur of red and green streaming after it. Rose didn't know the score, but she found herself longing that Scorpius' hand would just stretch a little bit further...

And with thunderous applause, his gloved hand closed tightly around the snitch and a whoop of celebration escaped Rose's mouth. "Malfoy catches the snitch, but Gryffindor are the winners" Taylor called out, sounding relieved that the match was finally over.

As the players touched down on the ground, Rose couldn't help but dash out onto the pitch. The Gryffindor team were all hugging each other enthusiastically and James was circling the pitch up above, pounding his fist in the air to the crowd's delight. She didn't know what she was doing. All she knew was that she was so excited that there was no way she could control what she was doing right now. Driven by an overwhelming feeling of elation, she continued to run across the field towards the two teams, preparing to join the Gryffindor group hug and to congratulate Gwen on her excellent flying ability.

But as she neared the huddle of green and red players in the centre of the pitch, without realising what she was doing and to the crowd's shock, it was not Gwen who she flung her arms around.

It was Scorpius.


	19. Draco's Letter

**Chapter 19 – Draco's Letter**

Everywhere Rose went, people stared. As soon as she'd realised what she'd done she fled the Quidditch Pitch frantically, ignoring the desperate calls from Scorpius and Gwen. She couldn't even remember why she'd done it. It was an impulse.

But there was no use hiding it anymore. The entire school had seen her. There wasn't anybody who hadn't been at that Quidditch match. Even all the teachers had seen. To an outsider it wouldn't have seemed bad at all. But within Hogwarts, it was a huge deal. Rose Weasley had run out onto the Quidditch Pitch to affectionately hug Scorpius Malfoy. Rose was an intelligent, down-to-earth, red-headed Weasley girl from Gryffindor. Scorpius was a cold, respected, pale-faced Malfoy boy from Slytherin. There were so many opposing things with the combination, it just didn't seem believable.

It was true that they'd been spotted by a large majority of the school dancing together at Evangeline's ball, but everybody had assumed that was just a result of the highly exhilarating atmosphere and a few too many butterbeers... But ever since Rose's little scene at the match, people had started to speculate if there was something more going on. So much so, that talk of Rose and Scorpius' potential relationship had completely overshadowed James and Evangeline's.

Even as Rose walked through the corridor now, two days after the match, people were stealing unsubtle glances at her as she strode past. Slytherin girls had been glaring at her and shooting her icy looks at every opportunity they had, as though she were something to be despised. The Gryffindors, besides her friends and family, had been watching her nervously with the slightest looks of betrayal lingering in their expressions. At least the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws seemed somewhat indifferent. But all the same, she often caught them off guard, peering at her uncertainly around the school.

Rose had been avoiding Scorpius at every moment she could. She didn't even know how to begin her explanation, and she was fairly certain that he would be receiving the same humiliation from his peers that she had - The constant staring and poorly concealed whispering behind people's hands.

It was with a slightly relieved feeling that Rose was now approaching the library. Albus had delivered her a letter earlier that day, demanding her presence promptly. Rose had assumed it to be from a teacher about some book-related homework assignment or something along those lines. She had not even considered what awaited her.

"Thought I'd forgotten had ya? Filch wheezed as she entered the room. "No, little skiving rats like you lot never escape detention, and that's a promise" he growled at her with a smirk. "May not seem like a lot, but it'll take ya a good couple of hours, you mark my words. Madam Pince needs the books sorted out." He pointed to several large piles of new books. "Some have gotten too old and need replacing... some are completely new and need sorting in the right places... And _all _of them" he said with a wicked grin, "need to be labelled and numbered. Don't let pretty boy slack off" he said laughing evilly as he hobbled out of the library. Rose jumped in surprise. She hadn't realised that Scorpius was even there.

He offered her what seemed to be an apologetic grin. "It shouldn't take too long." Rose could feel the colour draining from her face. This was the first time she'd encountered Scorpius since the match, and now she had to spend an uncomfortable couple of hours sorting books with him. Could it have been any more awkward?

"Right... Yeah" she mumbled, averting her eyes and picking up the first book. Although she would have been ridiculed by anyone to whom she admitted it to, Rose thought the detention sounded particularly enjoyable. Hours in the library, browsing through new and old books, completely undisturbed by anybody... But instead she would not be able to relax knowing that Scorpius was no more than a few paces away from her at every moment. It was going to be unbearable.

And she was absolutely correct. Maybe it would have been perfectly fine if they'd worked for the hours in complete, undisturbed silence. However it was not that simple. Scorpius seemed determined to make small talk with Rose, striking up a conversation every time they crossed each other's paths.

Replying in one-syllable answers and hurrying off immediately every time he did so, Scorpius soon left Rose alone, realising she did not want to talk to him. Sorting the new books took a lot longer than Filch had implied. They'd begun around two and it was now nearing half five. At this rate they would miss the feast, Rose grumbled to herself inside her head.

There was hardly anybody left in the library. All that remained were her and Scorpius and a couple of younger girls. Rose was in the process of returning a book as she rounded the corner that the girls were loitering by. Startled at whom she met round the corner, Rose dropped the book and cursed loudly. "Lily?" she asked in surprise, recognising her youngest cousin instantly. "Serephina?"

She raised an eyebrow at them. "What are you doing here?" she asked suspiciously. Lily shrugged.

"Looking for books" she said casually, very unconvincingly.

"You're spying on us aren't you?"Rose shrieked with realisation. A loud shushing noise from Madam Pince made her lower her tone. Well?" She put her hands on her hips furiously, a perfect imitation of her mother when she was angry.

"Of course we're not" Lily replied, smiling sweetly. Serephina giggled unsubtly beside her. Rose glared at her.

"Err is everything alright?" Scorpius asked, appearing suddenly from around the corner. Rose felt her face fill with blood immediately and turned away so her back was to him. "I thought I heard – " He stopped mid sentence first recognising Lily Potter and then to his horror, his little sister. Rose mumbled something. He ignored her. "Serephina!" He glared at her. "What are you doing here?"

"Geez" she muttered, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Thought this library was open to _everyone._" Lily smirked. Scorpius ignored her too, aiming all his frustration at Serephina.

"Since when did you come to the library at this time of the day? You're missing the feast!"

"So are you. Since when did _you_ come to the library at all?"

He scowled at her. "We happen to be in detention!"

"Is that what you call it now?" she asked teasingly.

"Call _what_ now?" he demanded.

"You know" she said raising her eyebrows. Lily giggled next to her. Rose continued to blush, trying to make herself seem as small as possible. "Your little make out sessions." She smiled slyly. Scorpius' face turned so red that it matched Rose's hair. She'd never seen so much colour in his pale face.

"Serephina!" he spluttered. "I – we don't – me and Rose –"

She laughed delightedly. "Guess we'll leave you two to it then. See you around big bro." She and Lily turned to leave the library leaving Rose and Scorpius in complete shock. Just as they were about to leave, she turned around and winked at them. Scorpius swore under his breath. He looked awkwardly at Rose and tried to mumble something apologetic. She gave a slight nod of her head, retrieved the book she'd dropped and scurried away from him, totally mortified.

As the time ticked on finally the pile of books came down to the last few. Rose was so exhausted and embarrassed now that she just wanted to be free again. It was the first time she'd ever longed to leave the library. As she opened a large, dusty volume to scribble the final number inside the cover, a piece of parchment slipped out from between the pages. She picked it up, about to replace it inside the book when something caught her eye.

The first line read, _Dear Granger, _but the Granger part had been crossed out, and _Hermione_ was written next to it. Hermione Granger, Rose's mother! It was a letter. Why was there a letter inside an old library book addressed to her mother? Curiously she flipped it over to see who it was from. She nearly cried out in surprise when she read the neat italic writing at the bottom of the page. It read _From the Draco that was always yours._ Draco? As in, Draco Malfoy? Scorpius' father!? That was impossible though. Draco Malfoy would never write her mother a letter. He hated her. He bullied her. Quickly, Rose scanned the rest of the letter.

_Dear Hermione,_

_I know I've written a thousand letters to you, but now this is it – the final one. For several years I've been fighting the thoughts in my head, the butterflies in my stomach and the feelings in my heart. I've tried to deny it, believe me how I've tried._

_I didn't mean for this to happen. I always despised you. I found it impossibly hard to believe how somebody born of muggle parents could be as bright as you. But there are a lot of things in this life that I don't understand and mostly I don't understand why you're always on my mind._

_I really didn't like you, you know. You were so swotty. Little miss perfect who knew everything. And to top it all off, you hung around with riff raff like Potter and Weasley. But then something happened. Something changed. It was in fourth year – I remember it well. The Yule ball. I'd never given you a second glance until that night. I'd always thought you so gawky and frumpy – just a frizzy-haired, buck-toothed know-it-all. But that night, my heart seemed to disagree. That night I really looked at you, and something clicked._

_I don't what you did, but it worked. Your hair, the dress, your newly sized teeth... I hate to say it, but you looked enchanting. Thought I'd gone crazy at first. Thought Pansy must have slipped something in my butterbeer. And then when I saw you in the arms of that great lump Krum, it was just unbearable. And then when he pulled you out of the lake in the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, I couldn't fight the feelings of rage towards him. From then on, I had to grit my teeth and admit the truth, although I would never be able to tell anybody other than myself. And the truth is that I love you._

_I'm not ashamed, but I am confused. It hurt me to continue to hurt you, but it had to be done. If you or anybody else had suspected for a minute that I had romantic feelings for you, my life would be complete hell._

_Which brings me round to why I'm writing you this letter. Because that's exactly what my life is now – hell. I'm a death eater now. The Dark Lord is ever growing stronger, and when he reaches the top, he will be unstoppable and I've no choice but to be on his side. But there's something else. The Dark Lord himself has given me a task. An impossible task. I'm not strong enough to do it and if I fail he'll kill me, and my family too. So I've got to try, even though I know I've been signed up for failure. The only thing that keeps me going is the thought that once this is all over, who knows what the future has in store. Perhaps when you read this letter, if I'm still alive after all this, you could forgive me. It's crazy to ask, but it's all I can do right now._

_I'll burn all the other letters. Nobody must ever know of my feelings towards you, especially yourself. I will keep this one hidden forever though, just as a reminder that we are not always what we seem, and yes, I, Draco Malfoy was in love with the muggle born witch, Hermione Granger. So it is with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat that I finish this letter. It sickens me to know that you will never know of my love and that'll you'll never return it either. I expect you'll end up marrying Weasley won't you?_

_Farewell my love, I wish you luck in the inevitable war that is to come, and even if we fight on different sides, my true love and allegiance will always lie with you._

_Love always,_

_From the Draco that was always yours_

_xxx_

Rose sat in silence and complete shock, slowly rereading the letter over and over again. This could not be true, could it? But why else would anybody write a letter like this, even as a joke? She looked at the cover of a book. It was an old and dusty textbook on Goblin revolutions and it was right at the back of the library. Nobody, not even herself would ever look in this book. Draco Malfoy was clever.

She shoved the book into its slot and stood up still rereading the letter, pondering what to do with this information. Should she tell Scorpius? Should she tell her mother? All she knew was that this letter changed everything. What if Draco was still in love with her? Maybe the idea of a truce between the weasleys and the Malfoys was not so unlikely after all.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **I apologise to anybody who isn't a fan of Dramione. I only ship them a little and thought it would be interesting to throw a bit in there. Hope you enjoy :) Review?_


	20. A Twist Of Events

**Chapter 20 – Twist of Events**

Scorpius slid the final book into its slot on the shelf. The library was so eerily silent that he was afraid of making even the slightest of noises. He straightened up and brushed himself down. He was certain that the feast would have completely finished by now. His stomach grumbled in protest. He would have to hope either Albus or some of his fellow Slytherins had been thoughtful enough to save him some food. He chuckled to himself. That was very unlikely...

He went in search for Rose. Although he would have much preferred to slip out of the library silently, he knew checking that she was finished too was the right thing to do. He found her crouched on the floor, clutching a piece of parchment in her hand. Her face was so pale and her eyes were wide. She looked as though she'd just seen a ghost.

"Rose?" he asked, approaching her slowly, as not to startle her. "Are you alright?"

She blinked at him with her wide-eyed gaze and then stood up slowly. She handed him the piece of parchment, her hands shaking. "I – I found this in one of the books." Her voice was very quiet and high-pitched.

Scorpius scanned the letter quickly, whilst Rose stood nearby holding her breath, worried about how he would react. "I don't what to say" Scorpius said finally, handing the letter back to her.

"I didn't think my father was capable of too many emotions" he said, his voice edged with laughter and light heartedness. Rose did not laugh.

"Err I'm sorry about Serephina earlier" he said, running a hand through his hair uncomfortably. "So yeah" he continued when she didn't respond. "I guess I'll see you around Rose." He offered her a friendly smile, which she did not return and turned to finally leave the library.

"No" she cried furiously. "Don't you understand?" she demanded. He stopped in his tracks. He'd never seen Rose this angry before and to be perfectly honest, he was terrified that he was on the receiving end of it. He stared at her quizzically. What was there to understand?

"This changes everything."

"Does it?" he asked uncertainly, not sure what exactly she was talking about. She brandished the letter in front of his face as if to make her point.

"Your dad was in love with my mum!"

Scorpius gulped. He didn't want to discuss his father's bizarre love for her mother. Thinking of his dad being in love with anybody other than his own mother made him feel uncomfortable. "I know, but that was a long time ago."

"But he never told her. She never knew that he loved her, and what if she loved him back?"

He failed to see where she was going with this. "Rose, this was an incredibly long time ago and I'm fairly certain he doesn't love her anymore.

"But what if he still does and she'll never know that he loves her. What if he had told her he loved her? Wouldn't everything be different?"

"Well yes, but he was what, 16, back then? People change Rose. I can assure you that my father is very in love with my own mother." He didn't mean to sound so cold, but he did.

"I think you should talk to him. And I'll talk to my mum and we need to show them the letter. They need to see each other again."

Scorpius did not take well to being given orders. "This is ridiculous Rose! I'm not talking to my dad about a school crush he had on your mum. Our parents are married now – happily married. It doesn't matter if he used to fancy her, from what I've heard she hates him. And how do you think your dad's going to react if you show him this letter?"

As Scorpius said this he was suddenly terrified of the thought of his own mother reading the letter. She hated the Weasley's with so much passion that it was almost embarrassing. Rose suddenly froze. She hadn't thought how her father would react. He'd be furious with Mr Malfoy and the thought of a truce began to seem less likely than she'd thought. But she couldn't just sit back and do nothing. Her mother at least had the right to know of the letter. It was for her after all.

"Fine. I'm still talking to my mum though. She has the right to know."

Scorpius sighed. Reasoning with Rose was impossible. She was certainly very stubborn, yet he seemed to admire her even more for it. She had passion.

"I think you're looking into this too much" he told her calmly. She glared at him. He ignored her. "This letter isn't going to change the way things are now."

She didn't say anything. Scorpius gulped, this had to be the most time they'd ever spent together, and when he'd imagined spending time with Rose, this wasn't how he wanted to spend it. Finally he broke the brief silence. "They're not us Rose."

"Of course they're not. I know that" she snapped viciously, every bit as fiery as her red hair.

"No" he said calmly, "I don't think you do." She opened her mouth to contradict him, but Scorpius got there sooner. "Just hear me out." She closed her mouth obediently, arching her eyebrows in an intimidating way. He tried to choose his words carefully so as not to offend her. He needed to redeem himself for the past four years and arguing with her and contradicting her was not the way to go about doing it.

"I think you have this subconscious theory in your head, that because we're so similar to our parents, that this letter applies to us. What I mean is that in your mind I am my dad and you are your mum, and so you want them to read the letter and proclaim their childhood love, because you want us to be..." he trailed off suddenly horrified. She looked at him in disgust and she had every right to. He had not even thought that he was just about to accuse her of wanting a relationship with him. He wasn't sure if she'd entirely understood his ramblings, but from the look on her face she had definitely understood what he had very nearly said.

Her eyes were sparking with fire. "Because I want us to be what?" she growled through gritted teeth.

"Nothing" he said quickly, taking a step back for good measure. "I don't even know what I was talking about."

"You think I want us to be in a relationship? You think I'm in love with you or something!?" She was advancing on him. He continued to back away from her.

"That's not what I said." He was panicking now. Rose was capable of powerful magic.

"That's what you were about to say!"

Scorpius was beginning to wonder where Madam Pince was. Why wasn't she swooping in and scolding Rose for shouting in the library? Perhaps she'd left. He didn't know how late it was after all.

"What makes you think that I fancy you, huh?" she demanded. Scorpius willed himself not to reply. If he'd even though for the slightest moment that Rose might like him in that way, then he had certainly ruined that now.

"Well..." He had now completely backed up to one of the book shelves and just to make things worse, she had her wand jabbing into his throat. Scorpius was strongly reminded of how he'd done the same thing to James at the ball. Rose's face was barely inches away from his. He had the sudden urge to kiss her...

Her eyes were daring him to answer, and he was trying to restrain himself, but before he knew what was happening, the words had already spilled from his lips. "Well... you did run onto the Quidditch pitch and hug me after the game..."

"I thought you were Gwen!" she roared in protest, although he caught a glimpse of worry in the tone of her voice.

"Right" he said with a smirk. "Well it's an easy mistake to make. Gwen has lovely dark skin and long black hair. Not to mention the fact that she was wearing red and is a girl. We must have looked completely identical."

For a moment Scorpius thought she was going to explode with fury and hex him so badly that he'd end up in St. Mungo's, instead she withdrew her wand and stormed out of the library without a single glance back.

A tight knot formed in his stomach. He had not meant to upset her. He'd thought spending time in detention together would allow him to get to know Rose better and attempt to make up for what he'd done, but instead he'd just made things worse and made her despise him even more than she had before.

"Rose – wait!" he called out, running after her. Her pace quickened. "I didn't mean to upset you." She stopped abruptly, startling him. He froze in place, unsure of what he should say next. He was saved the trouble though, as Rose opened her mouth.

"Just do one thing for me" she asked in a strained voice, desperately fighting the tears that were threatening to spill.

"Anything" he promised.

"Stay away from me Malfoy."

He flinched at the sound of his last name as it echoed around the empty corridor. "I..." but he didn't know what to say. She fled back to her common room, leaving Scorpius stood alone, hating himself for what had just happened. He had avoided her for four years and now she was asking him to avoid her anyway... but as much as he wanted to, he knew he could never do that anymore. As much as it pained him to admit it, even to himself, Rose Weasley meant something to him now.

Rose ran the entire way back to the Gryffindor Common Room. She felt even more humiliated than she had when she'd burst into the great hall in her ball dress that one evening; even more embarrassed than the whole Quidditch match incident. Scorpius Malfoy knew that she liked him, and she had been a complete fool to think that he could possibly like her back.

She darted through the common room, ignoring Sam calling her name and asking if she was alright. Because he was the last person she wanted to talk to. And she definitely wasn't alright.

Thankfully neither Gwen nor Janey or Taylor were in their room, but Rose knew that they'd be there soon after witnessing her mad sprint through the common room. She pulled the hangings shut tightly around her bed and flung herself down onto it, crying uncontrollably, exactly the same as she had done when she thought Scorpius was dating Lily.

She had only properly known this boy for about two months now, yet he'd caused her to shed so many tears. And the worst thing was that he was absolutely right. In that moment she had been longing for Draco and Hermione to be in love because in her mind that was her and Scorpius. Her mum loved her dad and she would be appalled if it were any different, and the more she thought about it, the more bizarre it seemed to her. Draco and her mum were not supposed to be together, and apparently neither were her and Scorpius, regardless of what a stupid prophecy said.

Had she really been that obvious though? How could he have possibly known that she liked him? She'd always assumed that their feelings were mutual. But she had been the one to embrace him on the Quidditch pitch. She had been the one to hold his hand as they'd strolled round the lake and very nearly kissed him in the hospital wing. When had he ever shown any sign of feelings towards her?  
And just as she though this, she noticed the vase that stood on her bedside table. Or rather, the blood red rose that was delicately placed in it. There must be some kind of enchantment on it, for it had not withered or changed in the slightest since she'd first received it. In fact, it seemed even fresher and more beautiful every day.

Scorpius had given her that rose. Why? She'd read a lot of books in her lifetime. Rose Weasley had read much more books that anybody else in her year group and probably year groups above her. She'd read everything from ancient runes to revolutions to the Gringotts banking system and even a book written entirely in mermish. Not once had she struggled in reading these books and not once had she not understood them.

But no matter how much she tried, she could not read Scorpius Malfoy, and for the life of Merlin she could not understand him.


	21. Rumours

**Chapter 21 – Rumours**

"What the hell have you done!?" Lily Potter demanded, slipping into the seat next to Scorpius. He had deliberately come down to breakfast later than usual so that he could avoid seeing Rose. Only a few students remained, and now every head was aimed in his and Lily's direction. Somebody from the Hufflepuff table wolf whistled.

"Not now Lily" he hissed at her. She looked almost as angry as Rose had done last night. This was clearly the Weasley genes coming out in them both.

"Last night was the perfect moment for you to get to know her better. You should have kissed her like Serephina said."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, detention is a real romantic situation to be in, and I think what Serephina actually said was 'make out'. I can't believe the two of you were spying on us."

"Well it was all going fine until we left" she replied icily, narrowing her eyes. He was fed up of redheads being angry with him... "You need to make things better with her. Woo her – send her another rose – ask her out on a date, I don't care, just win her back!"

"She's not interested in me winning her back Lily... I never had her in the first place anyway."

"Well then you better pull your act together and make her interested."

"FORGET IT!" he roared, standing up from the table, finally losing it. "I'M DONE LILY. THERE NEVER WAS ANYTHING BETWEEN US AND THERE NEVER WILL BE!"

Everybody in the hall was muttering as they watched Scorpius' rage. "You don't have to act so stubborn" she retaliated calmly, folding her arms as if to demonstrate her point.

Scorpius flung his bag over his shoulder, ready to storm out of the hall, despite the fact that all eyes were on him. As a final comment he yelled "I DON'T NEED ADVICE FROM SILLY LITTLE FIRST YEARS!"

"I'M IN MY SECOND YEAR!" she snapped, finally losing her temper with him too. He didn't look back as he strode away. She overheard a Slytherin whispering to her friend a few paces away from where she stood, shaking with fury. "Did they just break up?"

* * *

"Good news" Janey squealed as she entered the Gryffin-Girls room that evening, ready to tell them the daily gossip. Gwen, Taylor and Rose just stared at her with bored expressions.

"It's about Lily and Scorpius" she added, staring pointedly at Rose. Rose tried not to look interested, but her heart had chosen to beat fast of its own accord at the mention of his name.

"Go on then Janey" Gwen sighed, watching the small blonde girl bob up and down with excitement, bursting with information.

"They broke up!"

"They were never together" Rose said quickly.

"Well ok then, but according to the rumours they had an argument in the great hall this morning which sounded a lot like a break up."

"What do you mean?" Taylor piped up.

"According to a Slytherin girl he stormed out of the hall after yelling at her, "There never was anything between us and there never will be." Sounds a lot like a break up to me."

"Are you sure that he was talking about her?" Rose asked quietly. Janey merely shrugged.

"Who else would he have been talking about?"

But Rose did not answer, because she was afraid of the answer. It all fit together. Scorpius had promised her that he and Lily were not dating and so had Serephina and she believed them. But it was not unlike Lily to go and question him. After she'd caught the two of them spying on them in the library she realised how obsessed Lily and Serephina were with this prophecy and the idea that only her and Scorpius could bring peace between the families.

And if Lily had really gone to question him at breakfast then it was very likely that what he'd said had been about her. _There never was anything between us and there never will be. _So it really was true. She meant nothing to Scorpius Malfoy...

* * *

The next week was unbearable for Scorpius. Students were taunting him about his breakdown in the Great Hall, teasing him about his dramatic breakup with Lily, no matter how many times he tried to explain that he and Lily had never been dating in the first place.

But that was not what was bothering him. All he could think about was Rose Weasley – the forbidden girl. The girl who now despised him for a number of reasons. What if she was so mad at him that she told Professor Bobbin about the forgetfulness potion? He would be expelled for definite... His parents would kill him if he got kicked out of Hogwarts. Could the ministry arrest him for something like that?

And students were still gossiping about Rose's bizarre hug after the Quidditch match. Scorpius was getting a bad reputation. Rumours about he and Lily, and he and Rose were spreading wildly. People couldn't be sure which redhead he was going for. The fact that they were cousins and both in different houses to him made it all seem much worse.

Scorpius kept his thoughts to himself. He couldn't risk seeing Albus for fear of what he'd say about Rose and Lily. Family was more important than friendship right? At least that's what his mother had always told him...He mostly spent his time in the library. He could spend hours there, silent and undisturbed. And of course there was always the hope that Rose would be there. But she never was. It was as though she knew he would be there and was deliberately avoiding him.

Neither Lily nor Serephina had approached him since the Great Hall incident for which he was grateful for, but he felt so alone. There was nobody he could talk to. Nobody would understand. Not his parents, or Albus, or Professor Bobbin, or anybody. It was truly unbearable.

All he knew was that he needed to see Rose again. If he could only talk to her; he could tell her the truth about how he had not meant to imply that she fancied him, but that it was he who liked her. But there was no way she would ever believe that after he'd been making her forget him for four years. Even to himself it didn't make sense. But he was a Slytherin and a Malfoy – determined and cunning. He would not back down without a fight. And so he formed a plan.

* * *

It had been exactly a week since Rose had discovered the letter from Draco Malfoy to her mother, and stormed out of the library. She could not bear to go back to the library. It would only remind her of Scorpius and the humiliation she'd felt that night.

Janey, Taylor and Gwen were on her left as they marched down the corridor in pursuit of their next lesson. It had been Janey's idea for the Gryffin-Girls to travel in a 'wall' as a means to look intimidating and to protect Rose from the gossipers in the corridor. Her little stunt at the Quidditch match was still a hot topic. And it worked. Anybody who knew the feisty attitudes of the three girls would never dare to make any comment to Rose if she was constantly with them. It made her feel reassured and it made her feel protected.

It was in this way that they were walking through the corridor when it happened. The corridor was busy, as it always was at change of lesson, and Rose was walking in the middle of the corridor with the others linking arms with her to her left. It was bizarre, but it was how they travelled now. It was so busy in that corridor that nobody even noticed them.

A busy flow of students were travelling in the opposite direction, often knocking into Rose as they barged past. It was rather inconvenient for four girls to be walking down the corridor side by side, but Rose did not point this out to the others. She liked that they were trying to protect her.

They had very nearly reached the Transfiguration classroom they were headed for when time seemed to go in slow motion. For Scorpius Malfoy had just rounded the corner and was travelling down the corridor towards her. Rose could not breathe.

He was alone in the sense that there were no fellow Slytherins with him, but there were so many people in the corridor that he blended in as merely another boy in the crowd. The other Gryffin-Girls had not even seen him. Rose was panicking now, watching as he drew closer and closer.

He was simply going to pass her - that was all, but this was the closest they'd been since a week ago and she was not prepared to see him yet. And then he lifted his head and they locked eyes. He looked at her meaningfully, but she did not understand what he was trying to convey to her. _Don't be ridiculous, _she thought to herself. Scorpius Malfoy did not have anything to say to her, it was all just in her head. But he was staring at her far too intently. It was unnerving, yet she could not look away.

He was still getting closer – any moment now and they would pass each other. Rose held her breath, ready for the impact. He looked away as he passed her, his shoulder brushing hers lightly as he passed, and his hand pressing into hers for just the slightest of moments. She clasped her hand around the piece of paper that Scorpius had just pressed into her hand. A note? It had been such a small movement that nobody had even given them a second glance. Her grip tightened protectively and she pocketed the piece of parchment.

That evening as Rose returned to the common room, with a quick glance over her shoulder beforehand, she unfolded the piece of paper with shaking hands. There were only a few words scrawled on the parchment – slanted and untidy as though they'd been written in a hurry.

_Quidditch Pitch, Tonight, Eleven O' clock_


	22. Impossibility

**Chapter 22 – Impossibility**

Rose reread the note several times, letting the message sink in. Could this really be what she thought it was? But what she thought it was, was so impossible and unrealistic that thinking about it just made her head whirl. It must be a mistake surely. But she remembered the meaningful look Scorpius had given her right before he'd pressed the small slip of parchment into her hand. There was no denying that he had intended for her to receive this message. But why?

_I will not go_, Rose decided quickly, pocketing the parchment. It was obviously a trap. A Slytherin boy, who happens to be the son of her parents' foe, wanting to meet her after hours out on the Quidditch pitch? She was immediately suspicious. She was not going to risk sneaking out of the castle just to meet Scorpius. She wished she knew what he wanted, but the note was so vague. No matter how many times she reread it she couldn't decipher any hidden meaning or for the life of her understand what Scorpius Malfoy was after.

What if it was a trap? What if he was lurking in the shadows, waiting for her arrival, and then he would leap out and hex her? Or maybe he'd force her to take another forgetfulness potion because he feared she knew too much. Knew too much about what though?

Or even worse, what if he didn't show? What if it was just a trick to get her to sneak out of the castle? Maybe he'd warn a teacher in advance and then she'd be caught and given detention or expelled or something.

But Rose knew that she would never find out. It was simple, she would not go. It really wasn't worth the risk after all. And even if she was planning on going, how on earth would she be able to sneak out of her room, through the common room and then out of the castle undetected? For that she would need an invisibility cloak. And unfortunately she didn't possess one... But she knew somebody who did.

Hypothetically of course, Rose would need to steal James Potter's invisibility cloak from his dorm room. It was the easiest option after all. There was no way she could ask him to borrow it for two reasons. The first being that he would taunt her about breaking the school rules and the second being that he would demand what she needed it for. And he was very good at wheedling information out of people. But this was information she didn't wish to share with anybody, least of all her cousin.

It would be very difficult to steal the cloak, and even harder to return it. She didn't even know which room was James' and she had no idea where he'd be hiding it. The common room was so full of people that she'd definitely be caught going up to get it. She would need an invisibility cloak to be able to sneak up to James' dorm, which was completely ridiculous as that was the very thing she would be sneaking up to get. She sighed in frustration at the impossibility of it all, quite forgetting that she had no intentions of meeting Scorpius at the Quidditch Pitch later that night.

As she glanced around the common room nervously, something caught her eye, or rather someone. Gwen was curled up by the fire with Mason perched on the arm of the chair she was sat in. Rose felt her heart swell in her chest as she longed for the closeness of the relationship that they shared. If Rose told Gwen then maybe she could ask Mason to steal James' cloak for her. But then Rose would have to tell Gwen... and then Gwen would tell Mason... and then Mason would probably tell James... and then James would tell _everybody_.

As the time ticked on Rose became so stressed out by the impossibility of the situation, that she very nearly forgot that she wasn't even going to be sneaking out of the castle, and that her planning was of course all hypothetical. But the frustration of not being capable to even have the option irritated her greatly. She only wished she could steal the cloak, simply to prove that she actually could do it. Or so she convinced herself...

So when the fire began to die down and the common room clock struck ten, Rose kept a close eye on who was leaving the common room. As soon as Gwen left to go upstairs, Rose launched into action, catching up to Mason, who was also on his way to his dorm room.

"Mason" she hissed, blocking his path to the stairs. He looked startled at Rose's eagerness to talk to him. After all, they hardly talked to each other unless James or Gwen were present.

"Rose?"

"I don't have time to explain" Rose whispered hurriedly, constantly glancing in James' direction. "But I really need you to do me a favour."

He looked confused. "A favour?" he asked uncertainly.

She nodded. "James' invisibility cloak. Do you think you could get it for me?"

"Err sure, but why?"

"I told you, I don't have time to explain, but I need it quickly and I can't ask him for it directly because... well I can't tell you, but please please _please _could you get if for me?"

She tried to give him her most desperate and pleading look. He looked slightly scared. "I would do this for you" she prompted, although this was not strictly true.

Mason ruffled his hair uncomfortably. "Well... err ok then"

"Thank you so much" she gushed, sidestepping out of his way. "And I would appreciate if you didn't mention this to James." He only nodded awkwardly and began to ascend the stairs.

Rose tried to look casual, folding her arms as she loitered at the bottom of the stairs to the boys dorm, praying that nobody would notice her or question her. Mason returned shortly with an expression of guilt and confusion. He handed her the silky piece of material and she thanked him enthusiastically, before hurrying off to her own dorm.

Trying to keep it hidden, Rose entered her room. Taylor was already in bed, and Gwen and Janey were perched at the end, discussing which teachers would make the best couple. They barely even looked up as she hurriedly stuffed the cloak under her duvet.

"Who do you think Professor Longbottom would be good with?" Janey piped up, catching Rose unawares.

"He's married!" Rose replied in disgust.

Janey shrugged. "Just asking. Better not discuss it though, or _somebody_ will get jealous" she said looking pointedly at Taylor, who glared at her in response.

"Why should _I _care?" Taylor demanded.

Rose zoned out as they debated whether or not Taylor was in love with Professor Longbottom and climbed into bed, hoping the others wouldn't notice that she was still wearing her uniform. Without a clock, Rose had no idea what time it was, and soon enough the other Gryffin-Girls crawled into their own beds and silence fell in the room.

Rose's heart was beating heavily in her chest as she listened to the gentle breathing of her roommates. She was certain that she was the only one awake now, and she was certain that it must be nearly eleven o' clock. All she had to do was lie there and wait. She wasn't even going to meet him. It would only mean trouble.

But she was pestered by the thought of how much trouble she'd gone to have James' invisibility cloak in her possession. And before she knew it, Rose was slipping out of the room, expertly concealed by the silky material. The common room was completely empty, as were the countless corridors she hurried down as she ran through the castle. It was all too easy.

She almost screamed as she sprinted round a corner and almost into the caretaker Filch. She stopped suddenly, biting her lip so as not to make a sound. Perhaps it wasn't as easy as she thought... He stopped dead in his tracks, seemingly sniffing the air as though he was attempting to sniff her out. Rose held her breath, trembling from head to toe. All Filch had to do was reach out a hand and her presence would be revealed.

But Rose knew she didn't have time to spare, and although she was sure that he knew she was there, she slipped past him and continued running down the corridor, praying that her footsteps weren't too loud. She met no more obstacles as she reached the door to the grounds. She was most surprised to find that the door was unlocked, and terrified at the thought that a teacher might hear or even see her slipping out of the castle. Why did she always feel so reckless whenever Scorpius was involved?

But before she knew it, the cool breeze was causing the cloak to flap around her ankles, and she was surrounded by the inky darkness of night. Never questioning why she was doing this, Rose made her way to the Quidditch Pitch, expecting it all to be a big trick and for it to be completely empty. But as she approached the centre of the pitch, the moonlight bounced off the shimmering white-blond hair of a tall, male figure. Silently, Rose slipped off the invisibility cloak and stuffed it into her pocket, terrified of whatever was about to happen.

"You came?" Scorpius asked in a quiet and surprised tone.

Rose nodded, then remembered that he probably couldn't see it in the dark. "I did." He stared at her in unexpected wonder.

"Well, are you going to tell me what all of this is about?" she asked, a little more hostile than she'd planned to. He didn't say anything, trying to choose his words carefully. "You seem surprised that I turned up" she stated.

"I didn't think you would come" he admitted sheepishly. "You're not one for breaking the school rules."

"You better have a good reason for making me then."

He gulped. Rose couldn't help it, but she was entranced by the way the moon bathed him in silver light, making him look like an angel. She could feel her cold exterior melting. It was hard to remain stern with him, but she must try. It would be humiliating for her to act too keen. "Why the Quidditch pitch?" she asked, now certain of what his intentions were.

"It's far away from the castle... and it bears significance I guess."

"Significance?"

"The match... you hugged me" he reminded her gently. Although he couldn't see in the dark, her cheeks filled with colour.

"Just get on with it" she said closing her eyes, trying to wipe away all the feelings that were coursing through her veins.

"With what?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

She rolled her eyes. "The forgetfulness potion. That's why I'm here right? You're going to make me forget about you again..."

"What? Rose, that's ridiculous! I – I don't want you to forget about me anymore. How could you think that?"

She shrugged. "Why else would you want me to meet you here?"

"I wanted you to meet me here" he said slowly, "to let you know that I'm not my father." He looked embarrassed.

Rose raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't understand. I know you're not your father, Scorpius." She was very aware of how his unblinking gaze was fixed on her own eyes.

He shook his head sadly. "I wanted to say this instead of what I said back in detention – I'm not my father, Rose. He kept his emotions and feelings to himself and never told the girl that he loved that he loved her. And he had to go through his whole life, with the knowledge that she never knew his feelings."

He paused, and took a deep breath. Rose had frozen in shock, not sure if she could believe what she was hearing, and what she was sure she was about to hear. "I would hate to go through my life knowing that you never knew how much I liked you" Scorpius confessed. There. He'd said it. She'd probably burst into laughter and tell everybody around the school until he was a laughing stock – the idiot that told Rose Weasley he liked her. She'd probably end up with Sam...

He looked at her expectantly, wondering why she was delaying. She looked pale and shocked, shivering as the words processed in her mind. "You're shivering" he pointed out stupidly.

"I-I'm fine" she replied, her teeth chattering.

"No you're not" he said sternly, unwinding the green and silver Slytherin scarf from around his neck. "I know it's not much, but..." she gave a shudder which had nothing to do with the temperature, as he tenderly wrapped his scarf around her neck. Her skin was as white as porcelain, shining eerily in the moonlight.

He didn't back away after he was done. Instead he stood still, gazing down into her clear blue eyes. "Back by the lake" he said quietly, "you started to say something... but you never finished" he prompted her gently.

She said nothing for a while, still trying to get her mind about what he'd said just before. Was it really true? Did he, Scorpius Malfoy, truly like her, Rose Weasley? He seemed too serious for it all to be a big joke.

"I remember" she said finally, meeting his gaze. "I wanted to tell you, that I didn't want to be with you because of some ridiculous prophecy. I want to be with you, because I really like you."

Rose bit her lip nervously, but didn't drop her gaze; she wanted to see his reaction. He reached down to hold her cheek gently. It was cold and smooth beneath his fingers. "There was something I forgot to do before..." he said quietly, leaning in so she could feel his breath on her face.

And as the moonlight shone down on the Quidditch pitch, illuminating the young couple, Scorpius Malfoy gently pressed his lips to the trembling ones of the redheaded girl, Rose Weasley. And so Rose and Scorpius shared their first kiss, the trigger to what would become a treacherous affair of passion, heartbreak, and forbidden love.


	23. Suspicions

**Chapter 23 – Suspicions**

"This is absurd!" James roared as he strode into the common room the next morning. He collapsed into an armchair, huffing loudly.

"What's up James?" Rose asked.

He looked at her suspiciously. "Why are you so happy?" he demanded.

"Gee thanks James, so I'm not allowed to be happy now? I just had a good night's sleep, that's all" she said dismissively, disguising the sly smile she knew had formed on her face.

He shook his head. "Nobody deserves to be happy, not when this school is full of unreasonable, cheating scum like the Slytherins!" He'd managed to attract the whole room's attention now.

"What is it?"Mason asked, rushing to his side, Gwen just behind him. "What have they done now?"

"That weasel of a captain has demanded a rematch!"

"What!?" several people yelped at once.

"But we won that match fair and square!" Gwen cried out.

"Yeah well they're not having it. Professor Longbottom told me just now – they're claiming that they couldn't play properly and focus on the match because of the awful commentator that we had."

"Hey!" Taylor cried angrily. They all glared at her.

"Look Taylor, I'm just repeating what their captain told Neville, and no offence, but you don't know the slightest thing about Quidditch."

Several people nodded in agreement. Taylor folded her arms huffily, glaring at anybody who dared look at her. "Point is" James continued, "It's been granted so we have to do the rematch."

"When?" Gwen asked promptly.

"Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Mason protested. "But how are we supposed to squeeze in enough practice before them."

"Are you forgetting who we are, Mason?" James accused jokingly. "We are the freaking Gryffindor Quidditch team, and we do _not_ need to practice. We beat that scum once, and we'll do it again. As long as we have a decent commentator - " he threw a dirty look at Taylor "- and that git Malfoy doesn't cheat, and we catch the snitch this time, everything will be fine; we'll put them in their place, just you wait and see."

"Scorpius caught that snitch fair and square!" Rose shouted angrily, causing everybody to look at her. James looked bemused.

"We're very quick to defend Malfoy aren't we, cuz?" he taunted.

"Don't call me cuz" she said. "All I'm saying, is it was a fair match. He caught the snitch without cheating, and we won the match without cheating. There's no need for a rematch."

"Hmmm" he said thoughtfully.

Rose could feel her palms sweating. "What?" she demanded.

"Nothing" he said casually, "I just think it's curious."

"What's curious?" she asked, trying not to let her panic show.

"You've never shown an interest in Quidditch before. What's with the sudden change? Usually you have no idea who the seeker is, let alone the outcome of the match."

"Don't be ridiculous James" she said dismissively. "I always pay attention, especially as one of my best friends is on the team." She flashed a warm smile at Gwen. Gwen returned it slightly hesitantly.

"Is that so?" James asked. She nodded. "I think it's interesting" he continued, "that you ran out onto the Quidditch pitch after the match, and embraced a particular Slytherin boy, after your team had just won the match."

Everybody was watching her intently, eager to hear how she would respond. "I didn't _embrace _him!"

"Of course not..."

"Don't be an arse James" she growled, narrowing her eyes as she rose from the armchair. James raised his eyebrows in shock; it was very unlike Rose to swear and lose her temper like that. "I couldn't see very well" she assured him as she headed for the portrait hole, "I thought he was Gwen."

"Easy mistake to make!" James called out to her, as the door slammed shut behind her. Rose remembered how Scorpius had responded in the same way when she'd fed him the same lie.

* * *

Rose made sure to sit on the side of the Gryffindor table that was facing the Slytherin table so that she could watch Scorpius. No matter how hard she tried to conceal it, her face broke into a large grin at the sight of him, and she felt the butterflies soar around in her stomach.

Last night had been like a dream. The most wonderful and magical dream she'd ever had. She hadn't felt like this since the night of the ball. The ball where it had all begun... Something deep within her still pestered her, making her feel uneasy, and worrying that this was all a joke, and that he did not really reciprocate the feelings that she felt for him. But that was soon cast aside when he looked up and their gaze met across the hall. The feelings she felt for Scorpius didn't compare to any she'd ever felt before. And as he smiled at her from across the room, she knew that there must be some truth in it all.

But what was to come next was still a mystery to her. His scarf was stuffed securely in her trunk, and she had returned the cloak to Mason with no problems at all. But where did they stand now? Was that kiss just a one-off thing, or was there something more? She prayed that it meant something more. Was Scorpius her boyfriend now, or was this just a game to him? Maybe there were plenty of other girls that Scorpius went around kissing on the Quidditch pitch late at night. But there was only one girl that was catching his eye right now. And that wink was unmistakeably for her.

"What the HELL was that?" James demanded, rising from the Gryffindor table and marching over to the Slytherin table, where Scorpius sat, staring up at him in confusion. "You just winked at us!"

"Calm down Potter" Scorpius snarled, "I had an eye twitch."

"Don't tell me to calm down, or I'll –"

But the surrounding listeners never did find out what James was going to do, because at that moment Professor Bobbin had strode over to where the boys were arguing, and wrenched James away from Scorpius by the back of his collar.

"Don't let this be a repeat of what happened at the ball" Bobbin said sternly, dragging James back to the Gryffindor table while the Slytherins jeered at him. She pushed him down roughly onto the bench. "Finish your breakfast" she ordered, almost like a mother, while he scowled into his bowl of porridge, "and please try to stay out of Mr Malfoy's way."

She turned towards Rose, smiling warmly. "May I have a word with you Rose?" Rose glanced around at the Gryffin-Girls in surprise. Professor Bobbin never wanted to speak to her. What had she done, to deserve a talk with the headmistress? It was surely to do with her sneaking out of the castle last night. How was she going to explain that? She nodded meekly, standing up to follow Professor Bobbin out of the hall.

"I thought we might go to my office" she said casually once her and Rose had left the hall. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble" she assured her in a friendly way. "I just want to have a chat." A chat about what? Rose wondered.

Professor Bobbin smiled at Rose from across her desk once they had reached her office and settled in. At such close proximity Rose noticed how pretty Professor Bobbin was. She was just a school year younger than her parents, but the stressed dark marks beneath her eyes were significantly more prominent. But they didn't detract from her beauty in the slightest. With her thick ebony hair, long black eyelashes, eyes of startling green, and skin as smooth and white as porcelain, Rose thought she looked more like one of the wealthy sorceress singers than a headmistress of a school.

"I believe you danced with young Scorpius Malfoy at Evangeline's ball" she said bluntly. Rose looked at her in surprise, what could Professor Bobbin possibly want to talk about that for? She nodded.

"I did, miss" Rose replied, uncertain of how to address her headmistress, forgetting whether she was married or not.

"I don't suppose you've heard of the prophecy linking the two of you?" she asked curiously. Rose stared at her in confusion. How did she know so much?  
"Only recently, Professor" Rose replied politely, "I hadn't at the ball."

"Really?" she asked, awe filling her face. "You mean to say that you chose to dance with him out of free will, not because you perhaps felt some sort of duty?"

"Of course not!" Rose said quickly. "I think the prophecy is ridiculous. I danced with Scorpius because – because I wanted to" she stuttered, feeling embarrassed. As nice as Professor Bobbin was, Rose didn't really feel comfortable discussing her personal life with her. It was bizarre.

"Interesting" she said, gazing out the window thoughtfully. "So the incident at the Quidditch match was unprovoked?" she asked, returning her gaze to Rose's startled face.

Rose froze in horror. She had quite forgotten that not only had the entirety of the students seen her, but also the teachers. "It was an accident" she repeated the excuse for was felt like the hundredth time, "I thought he was Gwen."

"Right" Professor Bobbin nodded with a knowing grin. Rose knew, just like James hadn't, that Professor Bobbin didn't believe her in the slightest. "And that wink this morning?" she prompted.

"I..." Rose didn't know what to say. This was far too weird.

"That's alright Rose" Professor Bobbin said with a chuckle. "I understand – you're entitled to your privacy. I just want you to know that you shouldn't feel any responsibility due to that prophecy. Of course, by any means, spend as much time with Mr Malfoy as you like."

Rose was mortified. "You're free to go now." Rose stood up and walked to the door quickly, not entirely sure how to react to what had just happened. "Oh, Rose" Professor Bobbin called, just as Rose had reached the door.

"Yes Professor?" Rose asked.

"Always follow your heart" she told her seriously, "and never give up on love."


	24. Betrayal and Lies

**Chapter 24 – Betrayal and Lies**

With Professor Bobbin's unexpected advice about love echoing around inside her head, Rose prepared for the Quidditch match, the next morning. It was going to be absolutely humiliating. After all, everybody was surely going to remember what had happened at the last match – her running out to hug Scorpius after it was over. And with all the rumours and speculations flying around at the moment, she didn't want to do anything that would only confirm them.

But she was torn. Torn between the love and loyalty she felt for her own house and her own team, and her newly found love for Scorpius and therefore his team. Who was she supposed to support at an occasion like this?

She pondered this whilst rifling through her trunk in search for her Gryffindor scarf. Although the weather was indeed getting warmer, it was still March, and sitting out in the stands for about an hour or so was going to be unbearably cold. Flinging a pair of socks to one side, Rose stopped as something caught her eye.

With a reminiscent smile she gently traced her hand over the soft woollen texture of the Slytherin scarf that was hidden at the bottom of her trunk. Picking it up tenderly she buried her nose in the folds, breathing in the smell that lingered on the scarf – the smell of Scorpius. She decided to take it with her to the match so that she could return it afterwards. It would be the perfect opportunity to talk to Scorpius.

With this in mind, she hurriedly wrapped her own Gryffindor scarf around her neck and stuffed the Slytherin one into her pocket as she ran down the stairs to join her classmates. The common room was packed full, just as she had expected it to be. There seemed to be a crowd all huddled around a few people – no doubt the Gryffindor Quidditch team. And as Rose elbowed her way past the first years, she was unsurprised to find James in the centre, leading the Gryffindors in a chorus of chanting.

"ROSE!" he bellowed gleefully, spotting his younger cousin emerge from the crowd. She knew exactly what was coming next. He was going to make some taunt about her little stunt at the last match. But maybe it was the continuous chants of _Go Go Gryffindor_ that were ringing around the room, that filled her with an overwhelming happiness and she didn't even care what James was going to say next.

He opened his mouth with a wicked grin on his face, but stopped in his tracks, with his mouth slipping into a confused frown. "What the HELL is that?" he demanded, silencing the chants until a deathly quietness filled the room, and all eyes turned to Rose in an attempt to see what had sparked James' fury.

Rose's body filled with dread. What had just happened? Why was the entire room focused on her? Why were Gwen, Taylor and Janey stood behind James with looks of equal disgust plastered on their faces? She looked to James for some kind of sign as to what she'd done wrong. With a nervous swallow she noticed where his glaring eye line was aimed, and immediately felt her hands clutch at her neck. Or rather what was around it.

"Why in the name of Merlin are you wearing a _Slytherin _scarf?" James spat at her. She had only ever seen him use that dismayed tone of voice with Scorpius and other Slytherins that he loathed.

"I – I can explain" she gulped, thinking quickly. As she glanced around the room, her eyes passing from one betrayed look to another, Rose realised that there was no way out. She was completed surrounded – surrounded by competitive Gryffindors, with a particularly strong dislike for the Slytherins. And there she was, cousin and best friend of members of the Gryffindor team, sporting a scarf for the opposing team. If she'd only paid more attention as she'd been putting on the scarf, but her thoughts had been consumed by the joy of seeing Scorpius in a few moments.

"What is this Rose?" James continued, the rage building in his voice. "Is there something you're not telling us? Like the fact that your now supporting Slytherin instead of Gryffindor? Where's your loyalty, huh?" He was practically yelling now. Rose could feel her eyes stinging; brimming with tears that she knew would spill over any moment.

"Lay off" Sam muttered to James, who had apparently not heard him.

"What is this?" James repeated. "Is it something to do with that Malfoy git? Are you _dating_ him? Did he give you that scarf?"

No matter how hard she tried, the words would not come to Rose. How could she explain why she had Scorpius' scarf? And how could she explain why she was wearing it now, instead of her own house scarf?

A loud bang as the portrait door swung open announced the arrival of Professor Longbottom. "What's going on?" he asked in a panic, completely oblivious to the tensions that filled the room. "The match starts in ten minutes! Everybody else is down there, except for the entire house of Gryffindor!"

The previously silent room was now filled with shrieks and panicked chatter as everybody bustled for the door at the same time. Rose trailed behind miserably, making her way down to the pitch with the others.

* * *

Noticing Sam sat by himself, Rose slid into the seat next to him. At least he had tried to stand up for her. Perhaps he didn't hate her quite as much as everybody else... He turned his head to look at her with gloom in his eyes. "Please tell me the truth" he said in a strangled voice. "Is there anything going on between you and Malfoy?"

"Sam..."

"Please just tell me. And don't lie to me. I see the way you look at him" he said miserably. "And I see the way he looks at you..."

"Scorpius and I aren't dating" she said truthfully, trying to figure out exactly what was going on between them, herself.

"Then why are you wearing his scarf?" a voice asked from her other side. Rose whipped her head round, startled by the voice. She relaxed a little as she recognised Taylor.

"You're not commentating then?" she asked with a grin. Taylor did not return it.

"I asked you a question" she said in a hostile manner.

"Taylor please" Rose begged, "I'm not anti-Gryffindor like everybody's thinking" she said desperately.

"But you're not anti-Slytherin exactly are you? Why are you wearing Scorpius' scarf? I thought you were going to tell me everything... After the rose and the ball and the forgetfulness potion, I thought you could trust me." She sounded even more hurt than Sam.

"Forgetfulness potion?" Sam piped up. Rose ignored him.

"Taylor I had every intention of telling you everything, but there isn't much to tell, and we haven't really had much time together."

"Not much to tell, huh? So what about how you snuck out of the castle with James' invisibility cloak? Yeah, I noticed."

"How did you –"

"How come you didn't think that was worth telling me? You didn't even tell me about why you got detention, or why you ran over to him after the last match. And don't give me that rubbish about how you thought he was Gwen!"

"Taylor please! I promise I will tell you everything, and I always keep my promises" she reminded her. Her stern expression seemed to melt a little bit.

"Fine. And I want you to promise me that you will tell me everything that happens, as soon as it happens ok?"

"Of course" Rose promised eagerly, grateful that there was at least one Gryffindor that didn't hate her. Taylor nodded at her contently, and then in an inspiring act of forgiveness, flung her arms around Rose.

"I wanted to be mad at you" she confessed as she pulled away, "but I'm too desperate to hear what's going on between you and Scorpius!" The old Taylor was back, and Rose knew she was completely forgiven.

"Not now" she hissed, inclining her head towards Sam. Taylor's eyes widened in understanding. No matter how much Rose wanted to keep things between her and Scorpius private, it was a small price to pay for Taylor's friendship, but there was no way she wanted to discuss it with Sam. She felt incredibly guilty about everything that had happened, knowing how much Sam liked her and despised Scorpius, and how hurt he must be. It was a horrible feeling, but one that she had no control over.

The match was over barely minutes after it had started. And not because of some miraculous catch of the golden snitch, worthy of Harry Potter's standard. No, it was because his eldest son had misused his beater position to send a bludger hurtling towards Scorpius Malfoy, unprovoked. Fortunately with his superb seeker reflexes, Scorpius was able to dodge the bludger before the impact. However, the Slytherin chaser that had been flying behind him at that precise moment, had not been so lucky.

It all resulted in a furious Professor Bobbin marching onto the pitch, removing James form the team for the rest of the year (despite all he and his team's protesting), Slytherin winning the match by default (despite all the Gryffindor team's protesting), and the Slytherin boy being rushed to the hospital wing where he could continue the constant streaming of blood from his nose in private (to which nobody protested.)

So all in all, Rose was rather relieved. Relieved that the match was over so quickly, and relieved that Scorpius hadn't been hurt. She was furious at James of course, but she could worry about that later.

Grumbling as they went, the school begrudgingly made their way back to the castle, but Rose had other plans. Slipping away from the crowd she dashed towards the area of the pitch where the two teams had touched down. The Gryffindors had all left to protest about the unfairness of the situation, and a few of the Slytherin team had rushed off to see their fellow chaser in the hospital wing. Scorpius was amongst the remaining people still on the pitch.

She walked over to him with confidence, ignoring the wolf whistling that came with it. Scorpius couldn't help but smile as she approached him. His heart fluttered at the sight of her. "You're wearing my scarf" he said with a grin.

"I am, and now the entire house of Gryffindor wants me dead because of it..." She laughed as she said it, realising the only person she truly wanted to impress was right in front of her. If the Gryffindors wanted to exile her simply for wearing a Slytherin scarf then so be it. It didn't change who she was, but if what colour scarf she wore was all that they valued, then maybe Rose didn't want to be a Gryffindor. She wasn't even startled by her reckless thoughts. Just being with Scorpius gave her courage.

"Is that why James tried to kill me?" he asked nervously. "Because you're wearing my scarf?"

She shrugged. "I don't care what James thinks." He looked impressed. Rose Weasley definitely belonged in Gryffindor, he thought to himself. She sure had courage. He couldn't even begin to imagine standing up to his family.

"I didn't mean to keep it for so long" she told him, reaching up to untie it, "you can have it back."

"No" he said quickly, "you can keep it. It looks good on you." She blushed, and immediately dropped her head to stare at her shoes. Frost was clinging to the grass beneath her feet. It saddened her to think that something so beautiful would melt and disappear in a month.

"You fly really well" she said breathlessly, finally meeting his gaze again. "How come you never tried out for the team before?"

He looked embarrassed, and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I just never really fancied it before" he lied, avoiding her questioning stare. He couldn't possibly tell her that the reason he'd ever tried out was to avoid her knowing who she was. "My Dad was a good flier" he added, trying to draw her attention away from the question.

"My dad was on the team too" she said cheerily. "He was keeper."

Scorpius nodded thoughtfully. "So, what are you like at flying?"

"Dreadful. I take after my Mum!" Scorpius joined in with her laughter, although he wasn't entirely sure why, never having met her parents.

She stopped laughing and looked at him sincerely. "Maybe you could teach me sometime" she hinted, her eyes flitting towards the Firebolt he had clutched in his hand.

Scorpius gulped. As much as he liked Rose, and wanted to impress her, there was no way he would ever let her touch his broomstick. Perhaps it made him vain and selfish, but it meant everything to him and the thought of anybody else riding it annoyed him greatly. After his wand, it was the one thing he was completely possessive about. Rose was looking up at him innocently. He gulped again, and gripped his broom tighter.

"Sure" he lied. "Just let me know when you want to learn and, err, I'll be ready." He would be able to get out of this somehow, there had to be a way. He was a Slytherin, sorted for his cunning; He knew he could do it and let her down easily.

"How about now?" she suggested.

"Now?" His voice had gone high pitched with shock. He coughed deeply, feeling his palms begin to sweat beneath his Quidditch gloves.

"Yeah, why not?" she beamed. "There's hardly anybody here, and it'll be so much fun" she gushed excitedly. Scorpius was frantically racking his brain for a solution. How on Earth was he going to get out of this?

"Err Rose, I would really love to teach you how to fly." Scorpius tried to ignore the constant lies streaming from his mouth. "But I was thinking maybe sometime after the Easter Holidays..." Her previous expression of joy quickly changed to that of disappointment. Scorpius could feel the twinge of guilt deep in his gut at the sight of how hurt she looked. "Only because..." he added quickly, the guilt overwhelming him far too much, "you're not wearing proper protective Quidditch gear, and I couldn't possibly let you get her hurt."

She brightened up at this comment. "That's so sweet!" she cried before throwing her arms around him. Scorpius was partially wondering why all their romantic embraces occurred on the Quidditch pitch; but mostly he was thinking about how much he'd just lied to her, and how on Earth he was going to get out of teaching her to fly. This was low, he thought, even for a Slytherin.


	25. Confronting Hermione

**Chapter 25 – Confronting Hermione **

"Mum!" Rose exclaimed, spotting her mother waiting on Platform Nine and Three Quarters. "Dad!"

"Rose, it's so good to see you again" Hermione said, hugging her daughter tightly. "How was the journey? And where's your brother?"

"It was great Mum, and Hugo was with his friends when I last saw him." Rose breathed in the warm smell of her Mum; she smelt just like home. So much had happened since Rose had last been home, which was at Christmas, and she had so much to tell her Mum. Draco's letter was tucked securely into the pocket of the jeans she was wearing at that very moment.

"Hey Rosie" Ron said, beaming down at Rose and ruffling her hair. She grinned up at him, so happy that she was reunited with her parents. It was at that moment that Hugo joined them, and he and Ron became engrossed in a conversation about Wizard's Chess. As the family of four walked side by side across the platform, Rose couldn't resist but look back at the bustling crowd.

Scanning the crowds of people she spotted Gwen stood with a tall, dark-skinned woman. Gwen was the spitting image of Gwenog Jones, she couldn't believe she'd never realised before. But as intrigued by Gwen's Mother as she was, Rose was searching for somebody else.

Finally her eyes settled on whom she was looking for. The Malfoys were tucked away by the Hogwarts Express where there were fewer people. Scorpius and Serephina really did look remarkably like their father with their sleek blonde hair and pale pointed faces. Astoria was the odd one out really, but she still looked exquisite with her glossy brown curls and smooth complexion. They looked like a family of wealth and high-status, and they were. The prospect of seeing eye-to-eye with a family like that seemed near impossible.

But Rose knew Scorpius, and he wasn't anything like he appeared. How he belonged to a family like that confused her, what with everything her Dad had told her about the Malfoys. Although, she wasn't entirely sure what her Dad had told her was exactly true. He made it rather clear that he despised them after all.

But it wasn't just Scorpius. Rose had met Serephina too, and she had seemed like a perfectly kind, down-to-Earth kind of girl. She'd even tried to give Rose advice about Scorpius! And with her recent discovery, Rose certainly knew there was more to Draco Malfoy than whatever everybody believed, and what appeared on the surface. Astoria was the only one Rose knew hardly anything about. And if she truly believed in that prophecy about Rose being danger and had warned Scorpius about her, then perhaps an end to the feud was very unlikely indeed.

"Who are you looking for, love?" Hermione asked Rose, squeezing her hand gently.

"Oh nobody" Rose replied, whipping her head back to grin at her mother. "I was just thinking how remarkably similar my friend Gwen looks like her Mum."Hermione nodded, satisfied with her answer, and hand in hand they ran through the platform barrier.

* * *

It felt great to be back home, but every day, there was a clawing feeling in the pit of Rose's stomach – the need to be with Scorpius, even just to see him again. Every day she fought a battle in her mind – should she write him a letter? She always decided that it was too risky. If his parents were to discover that she'd sent their son a letter then she knew her and Scorpius would both probably have hell to pay. And there was always the debate about what she would even write about if she were to send him a letter.

The constant thinking of letters, also reminded her of the one from Draco to her mother. Rose pondered when the best time to reveal it to her mum would be. The answer came to her, after Ron and Hugo announced that they were going out to play Quidditch. Hands trembling, with the letter clutched in her hand, Rose walked into the kitchen where Hermione was washing up, ready to finally confront her.

Hermione whipped her head around hearing footsteps on the kitchen tiles, and beamed at her daughter.

"Why don't you just use magic?" Rose asked her, indicating to the plate Hermione was scrubbing by hand.

She gave a casual shrug. "I guess I was just always used to doing things without magic" she replied. "I was raised my muggles after all, and it's a hard habit to break. But remember Rose, not everything has to be done using magic" she advised, with a serious tone.

Rose nodded, although to be perfectly honest she wasn't really listening. Her mind was filled with thoughts of what she held in her hand, and dread for fear of how her mother would react. She was at least grateful that her dad was out of the house.

"What's that?" Hermione asked, wiping her hands dry on a towel and nodding towards the letter. "Do you need help with some homework?" she asked a little too enthusiastically.

Rose shook her head quickly. "N-no, I've already done all of my homework." Hermione smiled with pride. "Can I talk to you about something?" Rose asked. Hermione could immediately sense that this was something serious.

"Of course you can, love" she replied, settling into a kitchen chair, and indicating for Rose to do the same. Still trembling, Rose sunk into the chair, grateful for its stability, as she felt her knees would give way at any second otherwise. "What's on your mind?" she prompted after neither had interrupted the brief silence.

"Well" Rose began, taking a deep breath, "A few weeks ago I was in the library –"

" – I used to spend so much time in the library" Hermione interrupted, smiling reminiscently.

"Err, right" Rose gulped, ungrateful for the interruption. "Well, I was browsing the books, and I found something _interesting_ inside one of them."

"Oh yes?" Hermione asked eagerly. "You know you're so much like me" she beamed proudly, gazing down at her daughter. "You've got your father's hair and freckles, but we're practically identical when it comes to personality. Always reading, spending time in the library, getting homework done on time, respected by the teachers, intellectual..." she began listing off their similarities on her fingers.

Rose tried to mask her irritation – her mum was making this impossible. Usually she loved being associated with her mother. Her chest swelled with delight when a Hogwarts professor recognised her as being the daughter of the fantastic Hermione Weasley. But right now, all she really wanted was to show her the letter from Draco. Zoning out, whilst Hermione continued to list the similarities between them, she glanced out the window anxiously. Hugo and Ron could be back at any moment, and she really, _really,_ didn't think it was a good idea that her dad see this letter.

"So what did you learn?" Hermione asked, snapping Rose back to attention.

"Huh?"

"You said you found an interesting fact inside a book" she prompted her, "but you never actually said what it was."

"No – it wasn't a fact that I found" Rose informed her, momentarily confused by her mother's misunderstanding. "It was... a letter" she said finally, hesitating slightly.

"Oh" Hermione said, slightly taken aback, now eyeing the piece of parchment Rose had rested on the table. Rose gulped. What if Scorpius was right and this was a horrible idea? How would this letter affect her Mum? There was no turning back now.

Her voice broke slightly as she said the next words. "It's from Draco Malfoy... and it's addressed to you." Curiosity flickered in Hermione's eyes, along with something else that Rose couldn't quite recognise. She slid the letter along the table. Hermione reached out a hand delicately and began to read. Rose watched her mother's expression carefully, searching for any hint of what she was feeling inside, and what thoughts were running through her head as she read her childhood bully's confession of love. But Hermione revealed nothing. Her eyes scanned the parchment quickly, without a single flicker of emotion. Once she had finished, she placed it on the table and smoothed it over, eventually looking up to meet Rose's gaze and offer her a small smile.

"Well..." she said in offhand way, as though it was merely another letter from work.

Unsatisfied with her reaction, Rose decided to intervene, just in case her mother hadn't quite understood what had just been revealed to her. "Draco Malfoy was in love with you" she stated bluntly, trying to coax a proper reaction.

Hermione merely smiled, almost sympathetically. "I know, Rose."

Rose was stunned. "But I thought – I thought you would be more surprised." She was embarrassed to hear the tone of pleading in her voice, almost as though she wanted her to swoon, or rage, or exclaim in surprise... anything other than her lack of reaction.

"No Rose" she said patronisingly, as though she were the one revealing a secret instead of the other way round, "I knew before you showed me this letter. I've already read it... I read it when I was seventeen..."

Rose's mind was whirring as she tried to get her head around the situation. It was impossible – none of it made sense at all in the slightest. "You knew?" she breathed, not even trying to hide her accusing tone. Hermione looked embarrassed, and Rose immediately recognised the look in her mother's eyes that she couldn't identify earlier – it was understanding. She already _knew_ what information the letter contained.

"When I went back to Hogwarts for my Seventh Year, as you know, your Father and Uncle Harry didn't come with me. I spent a lot of time with Auntie Ginny, but she had her own friends, and so I spent a lot of time in the library by myself. I must have read nearly every book in there" she grinned fondly. Rose's expression was stone cold. She felt betrayed that Hermione had never told her any of this before, that she had known for over twenty years and never once mentioned it. Noticing her daughter's expression, Hermione's grin dropped quickly, and she continued her story.

"Anyway, sure enough, one day I came across a letter hidden in a book, from Draco Malfoy... and I guess the rest is pretty self-explanatory."

"There were others, you know" Rose said quietly, "doesn't it bother that you never read the others?"

Hermione shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I did."

"What?"

"Who do you think burned them?"

"I don't understand."

Hermione sighed. "I guess it's not as self-explanatory as I thought... The letter I found – that was only the last one. The rest of the book was crammed full of letters – almost one in between every page. He used the letters more like a diary, rather than actual messages for me, and then once I'd read through them all, I reached the final one." She picked the letter up and fanned it in the air, as though Rose didn't understand. "This one. He clearly wrote that he intended to burn the rest of them, but for whatever reason, he hadn't. Maybe he ran out of time... maybe he forgot... I don't know." she shrugged.

Rose was appalled. "But why?"

"Why?"

"Why burn the letters?"

Hermione furrowed her brow in confusion, not understanding why Rose was confused. "Because that was his intention... He didn't want anybody to read them, and that way nobody could."

"Why not burn the last one though?"

"_I will keep this one hidden forever though, just as a reminder that we are not always what we seem, and yes, I, Draco Malfoy was in love with the muggle born witch, Hermione Granger_" she looked bemused as she read the extract aloud to Rose. "That's exactly why I didn't burn this one" she explained. "He wanted the others burned, and this one kept. I only did what he didn't have time to do."

"You mean to say you just, put it back in the book and left it there for all these years?" Rose couldn't understand her mother's actions in the slightest.

Hermione didn't understand her daughter's confusion in the slightest. "Of course... what else would I have done with it?"

"Keep it!" Rose couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"But why?"

"Why? Because he loved you, that's why!" Rose couldn't help but shout – it was too frustrating. Hermione remained calm.

"But Rose" she said softly, "I didn't love him. I was seventeen, and very much in love with your father. Nothing could change that – not even a confession from Draco Malfoy. Not a confession from anybody, in fact."

But Rose was still not satisfied. "Did you ever tell Dad?"

"Of course not. He doesn't need to know everything, and it isn't like I returned Draco's feelings."

"Did you ever talk to Draco afterwards?"

She shook her head. "I haven't ever spoken to him since my school years. His supposed childhood love for me didn't change the way I felt towards him. He was still a bully in my eyes – a coward – a death eater. I'm sure he's changed now" she added quickly. "I'm not your father – I don't still have petty grudges towards him or anybody else involved in the war. I'd like to think we've all matured. Except your father of course" she added with a laugh. Rose laughed too, and then stopped quickly, forgetting that she was trying to be angry.

But she couldn't exactly figure out why she felt she was supposed to be angry. She was delighted that her mother was in love with her father and nobody else. Maybe it was the fact that Hermione had never told her any of this. But that was completely unreasonable - why would she? It didn't concern Rose after all. And then it hit her. It was exactly what Scorpius had said after he'd read the letter, and the way her mum had only moments ago been remarking on how similar she and Rose were. In her mind, she had put herself into the situation, imagining that she was Hermione, and Scorpius was Draco, and that's why she felt so angry and appalled that her mother had discarded the letters – because she, Rose, couldn't imagine herself doing that if Scorpius had written letters to her.

"It's in the past Rose and we're both happily married and in love with other people now. Draco was sixteen when he wrote those letters, and I'm fairly certain that he doesn't even remotely feel the same way towards me now."

Rose chuckled under her breath, as fond memories crept into her mind. "Just like Scorpius said..." she mumbled to herself.

Hermione looked up sharply, a smug smile playing on her lips. "Scorpius Malfoy?" she asked with a wicked grin.

Rose was mortified, choking on her words as she attempted to defend what she'd just said. "So you've been spending time with Scorpius Malfoy, have you?" Hermione asked playfully, enjoying watching her daughter struggle like a rabbit caught in headlights.

"No!" she yelled, a little too loudly, squirming in her chair. "I just –"

"You're blushing, Rose" Hermione teased her. "Your cheeks have gone all rosy."

Rose continued to protest, refusing to let her mother know that there was something going on between her and Scorpius. Hermione looked delighted with the situation, and Rose eventually gave up.

Muffled noises could be heard from outside, announcing the return of Hugo and Ron. Hermione stood up to go and greet them. She paused in the kitchen doorway and turned to smile at Rose. "Don't worry, love, your secret's safe with me," she teased with a wink.


	26. Family Reunions

**Chapter 26 – Family Reunions**

"Homework, Scorpius?"

Scorpius whipped his head around sharply, his quill clattered to the desk. "Y-yes" he stuttered, fumbling with the parchment he'd been writing on, desperately trying to hide it from view and roughly shoving it under a pile of textbooks.

Astoria didn't seem to notice his panic. She smiled satisfyingly. "Good. Your Grandparents have arrived. Come down and join us as soon as you're finished." Scorpius nodded hurriedly, his hands trembling as he clumsily recovered his quill. He tried to offer her a calm, composed smile. For a moment, Astoria lingered in the doorway, looking him over suspiciously, trying to uncover whatever it was he was hiding.

She left slowly, adding to the uneasy feeling Scorpius felt deep within his stomach. As soon as he heard her footsteps descending the stairs, he began to relax. With a quick glance over his shoulder to check that he was alone, Scorpius fished the now crumpled piece of parchment out from under the textbooks. What little ink that had been on it, was now smudged across the page.

He exhaled in frustration, screwing the parchment into a tight ball with his fist, and idly tossing it over his shoulder where it rolled away behind his trunk. It had been several hours now since he'd decided to write a letter to Rose Weasley, and after several painful attempts he had managed to get further than _Dear Rose_...

The trouble with Rose was not what to say to her. If she were in the room with him then, then he would have no problem conjuring up things to say to her, because she was simply so easy to talk to. And of course, he had a lot of things to say to her. But when faced with the struggle of putting those things into words, then that was enough to drive any fifteen year old Slytherin insane. Scorpius did not often lie to his parents, least of all his mother. But she would never understand his feelings towards Rose Weasley. She was a Weasley... She was a blood traitor... She was _danger. _That was all he'd ever known. Until now of course.

Begrudgingly, Scorpius made his way downstairs, feeling a pang of sorrow at their stability. He longed to be back at Hogwarts, feeling that brief rush of panic and mystery as the stairs whipped around to an undesired floor. But he knew in his heart that it wasn't exactly the stairs that he missed about Hogwarts.

"Scorpius" his Grandmother said pleasantly as he entered the luxurious living room. All heads turned to face him. He couldn't help but feel he was being scrutinised critically. Perhaps he wasn't imagining it at all. The Malfoys had high standards after all. He dreaded to think what would happen if he didn't meet them.

The six Malfoys were sat around the long dining table that extended along the centre of the dining room. To his left Serephina was delightedly telling Narcissa about life at Hogwarts, while Draco looked on proudly. Every now and again Astoria would cut in, smugly informing her in-laws of Serephina's high standards, but her delight couldn't have been more genuine. The only people not contributing to the discussion were Scorpius and his grandfather.

Lucius had a hard, cold look in his eyes, and his mouth never so much as even twitched into a smile. His hair was long and preened to apparent perfection, but Scorpius noticed the bedraggled wisps that trailed down his back, and the receding hairline that lined the top of his head. Dark shadows clung to the skin beneath his eyes, making him appear far more tired and old than he actually was. Scorpius knew little about his Grandfather. He didn't understand how these tell-tale signs marked a period of darkness and suffering and war. The truth about his family's past had never fully sunk in. All links and traces to dark magic and death eaters were non-existent to Scorpius. He was completely oblivious about what it meant to be a Malfoy.

"And what about you, Scorpius dear?" Narcissa asked her eldest grandchild. Scorpius dropped his fork in surprise, exactly as he'd reacted in the earlier situation with his mother. It clattered onto the plate noisily, the sound ringing around the emptiness of the vast room. Astoria glared at him disapprovingly.

"How's school?" Narcissa prompted. Scorpius cleared his throat, glancing nervously at his younger sister. She seemed completely absorbed in the consuming of her dinner.

"It's very well" he said politely, racking his brain for something useful to say. Something _impressive. _But only one thing sprung to mind when he thought of Hogwarts. And he didn't think Rose Weasley would be a popular topic of discussion on this particular occasion.

"How are your classes?"

"Good."

There was a chilling silence, only interrupted by the sound of Serephina scraping her fork across her plate as she ate. Nobody seemed to notice.

Narcissa smiled at him. It was a warm, genuine smile. A smile he rarely received from his parents, and almost never from his grandfather. In some ways, Scorpius felt even closer to Narcissa than he did his parents. His mouth felt dry as he swallowed. He gulped his butterbeer clumsily, once again receiving a disapproving glare from Astoria.

"How are you friends?" Narcissa asked in another attempt to fill the silence. "Is there a girlfriend in the picture?"

Scorpius gulped suddenly, sending him into a spluttering fit of coughing. Draco looked away embarrassed, as though it pained him to see his son struggling, but felt unable to do anything about it. Recovering quickly, Scorpius managed to wheeze in between deep gulps of air, "N-no. No girlfriend" he assured her, refusing to look her in the eyes.

He once again glanced nervously at Serephina, checking for any signs that she would let slip something about Rose. Not that Rose was even his girlfriend of course... But she was the closest he had to one. But Serephina showed no signs of interest in the conversation whatsoever.

It was at that point that Lucius let out a snort of laughter, and a smirk played at the edges of his mouth. Startled, all heads turned to look at him. It was the first attempt at communication that he'd made all evening. "It's just that Draco was the same," he explained, noticing his wife's curious gaze. "He too, never had time for schoolgirls. Far too focused on his studies and his... _extracurricular activities._" There was something far too sinister about Lucius' feeble description of Draco's death eater duties. Something dark and twisted about the way he looked at his son fondly, as though proud of the past.

It was not his grandfather's tone of voice that caught Scorpius' eye though. It was the hesitant, almost nervous look that flitted briefly into Draco's eyes, that Scorpius knew had nothing to do with the mention of his 'extracurricular activities.'

"Quidditch was the only love I had at school" Draco responded, prompting a delighted chuckle from Narcissa, and an approving and slightly appreciative gaze from Astoria.

"Exactly," Lucius smirked.

Scorpius pondered what would happen if he were to mention Hermione Weasley at this point in the conversation. Not that he would ever dare, but something as wicked and twisted as Lucius' smirk, began to writhe inside of him, urging him to mention it – to bring chaos to the cosy little family meal. Not that it was cosy in the slightest.

The thought was pushed out of his mind immediately, as Lucius spoke his next words. "Are you still friends with the Potter boy?" he asked coldly, sneering as he said the name. Scorpius gulped, almost choking on the air as he had done previously with his butterbeer. He looked to his father for reassurance, completely baffled as to how to respond.

A fire seemed to have sprung up in Draco's eyes. "I've told you before, father. Scorpius can be friends with whomever he chooses" he growled through gritted teeth. The ferocious blaze in his eyes was a complete contrast to the bitterly icy tones of his voice.

Father and Son glared at each other across the table, their eyes locked, neither one giving up. "I see" Lucius said bitterly, instead aiming his glare towards Scorpius. Scorpius gulped and slid as far down into his chair as he could. Nobody spoke for the rest of the meal.

* * *

"Good news!" Victoire Weasley squealed, breaking into a grin so broad, that her perfectly pearly white teeth glistened in the light. "Teddy and I are engaged!"

"Oh that's wonderful, dear!" Mrs Weasley gushed, while Fleur burst into tears of delight. The happy couple were swarmed with 'congratulations' and warm handshakes.

"That's great, Vic – congratulations!" Rose added, wrapping an arm around her cousin's waist.

"Thanks Rose" Victoire replied warmly. "I want you, Lily, Dominique, Lucy, Molly and Roxanne to all be bridesmaids!" she said enthusiastically. "_We _want" she corrected herself, tossing her head to look at Teddy proudly.

"_Six _bridesmaids?" Bill asked his daughter critically. "Love, you do know most people usually only have like two or three?"

"Nonsense!" she cried, her elegant face morphing into anger. "I have one sister, and five female cousins, therefore I shall have six bridesmaids!"

Bill looked taken aback, and then smiled apologetically."I guess it's up to you." She looked pleased with his response.

"So when's the big day?" Ginny cut in.

Victoire opened her mouth to reply, but Teddy got in before her, finally able to speak. "We haven't decided an exact date yet, but hopefully sometime in the summer, when the kids are out of Hogwarts."

Rose grumbled along irritably with the rest of her cousins, while Lily protested that they weren't 'kids'. Teddy laughed and ruffled her hair, which only infuriated her further.

Fleur looked flustered. "Een ze summer?" she repeated. "But Victoire, zat eez only four, five months from now! Zat eez not enough time to plan a wedding!"

"Oh calm down Mother" Victoire ordered, getting slightly annoyed. "It's plenty of time. We want to get married as soon as possible."

"But, why ze hurry?" Fleur asked.

Victoire gazed at Teddy lovingly. He returned her affectionate stare. "Because," he said, answering for her, "We love each other too much, so why wait? The sooner we're Mr and Mrs Lupin, the better!"

"Victoire Lupin" Victoire cooed, enjoying the way the words rolled off her tongue. Louis made fake vomiting noises behind her, sending the family into fits of laughter.

There was a warm and pleasant atmosphere in the Burrow that evening, as the Potter-Weasley family (and Teddy) crammed around the dinner table. "I think it only fitting that we raise a glass to the happy couple" Harry announced, raising his goblet of pumpkin juice. "To Teddy and Victoire!"

"To Teddy and Victoire!" the family chorused, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Angelina, George, Percy, Audrey, Molly, Arthur, James, Albus, Lily, Rose, Hugo, Fred, Roxanne, Lucy, Molly, Dominique and Louis all raising their goblets.

"Now you'll _really _be part of the family" Lily piped up happily, gazing up at Teddy admiringly.

"Sure will, Lils" he replied.

"Poor soul" Ron teased.

"_Ron!"_ Hermione scolded, although there was laughter in her eyes.

Rose felt a warm feeling rising up inside her as she sat at the table. Being surrounded by her family gave her the happiest feeling in the world. At Hogwarts it was different. Although true that all of her cousins, besides Victoire, were still at school, they barely had time to see each other. And of course she never got to see her parents, grandparents, or aunts and uncles apart from on occasions like this. She cherished these opportunities.

And seeing how in love Teddy and Victoire were made her happy too. But something troubled her at the back of her mind. She tried to imagine her and Scorpius as Teddy and Victoire, in a few years time. She thought about how they'd all react to their love. Would they be as accepting as they were of Teddy? Of course not... Her family would never forgive her if she married a Malfoy, with the exception of her mother, and Lily and Albus obviously.

She glanced briefly in James' direction. He looked sulky and bitter as he sipped his pumpkin juice. He lacked all of the energy and enthusiasm he was usually bursting with. Ever since he'd been cut from the Gryffindor Quidditch team he hadn't been the same. Rose felt like it was all her fault. After all, if she'd never worn Scorpius' scarf, James wouldn't have tried to injure him in the game, and therefore wouldn't have been excluded.

She tried to push the thoughts out of her mind. James was always reckless, and always trying to injure the Slytherins on the Quidditch pitch. It wasn't really all her fault was it? She couldn't possibly be the one to break James Potter...

Still, in some ways his silence was a huge advantage. Never once did he mention Scorpius Malfoy during the holidays, and much to Rose's relief, neither did anybody else. Everybody was too excited about Victoire and Teddy's big announcement to think of what had been going on at Hogwarts. Except for Rose of course, but she kept her lips sealed. She knew Ron would never be as accepting as Hermione. If anything more were to happen between her and Scorpius, which she sincerely hoped would, then one day it was inevitable that she'd have to tell her father. But not just yet... And for that she was extremely grateful.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **For those of you who have read my Teddy and Victoire fanfic, I just want to say that these stories are not linked together, and that the other fanfic does not in any way come into this one. :)_


	27. Back to Hogwarts

**Chapter 27 – Back to Hogwarts**

As the Easter holidays drew to an end, all Hogwarts students returned to Platform 9 and ¾ eagerly waiting to return to school. Ron clutched his daughter's hand protectively as he steered her through the bustling crowds, with Hermione and Hugo trailing slightly behind. Rose was far too embarrassed to point out to him that she was fourteen years old and really didn't need him to hold her hand, especially in public.

"Be good Rosie" he told her once they came to a stop in front of the majestic Hogwarts Express.

Rose rolled her eyes. "I'm always good, Dad!"

He grinned proudly and ruffled her hair. She didn't protest. "I know."

"You better get on now" Hermione advised, pointing to the train. "You'll want good seats."

"See ya!" Hugo shouted, racing off towards the train. They all laughed as they watched him go, disappearing amongst the various students and parents all gathered around.

"Have a good birthday, dear" Hermione said to Rose, stroking her hair lovingly. Rose had completely forgotten that she would be turning fifteen in a month's time.

Ron kissed her cheek. "We'll send you presents." But suddenly something else had caught his eye; something that caused him to screw up his face in disgust. Disgust and anger, and pure loathing.

Of course, it was the Malfoys. Except this time, it was not only the sophisticated family of four. Two elderly people had joined them. By the sleek blond hair, she assumed they must be from Draco's side of the family. These people must be Scorpius' grandparents.

"Ron" Hermione said warily, as she noticed his sudden change in mood.

"That _git_" Ron mumbled, glaring across the busy platform.

"Ron, it's been over twenty years since we were at school. I'm sure Draco is a changed man!"

"I'm not talking about _Draco_" he growled. "I'm talking about his git of a father, _Lucius_" he spat.

She sighed heavily. Rose looked away feeling embarrassed. "Lucius Malfoy has every right to see his grandchildren off to Hogwarts" Hermione reminded him.

"Of course he doesn't – there's only one place he belongs, and that's Azkaban!"

"Ron, you're being ridiculous!"

"Umm, I think I'm gonna go now" Rose mumbled, blushing. At once, Hermione and Ron snapped out of their argument and gushed goodbyes to her. Hermione leant down to kiss Rose's cheek. Then in barely more than a whisper, so only Rose could hear, she murmured, "Don't listen to your father."

Rose rushed off to board the train, waving goodbye as she did so.

* * *

Scorpius wasn't entirely sure why his grandparents had come to see him and Serephina off. It must have been the first time they'd done so in all the four years that Scorpius had been attending Hogwarts. Narcissa and Astoria were fussing over Serephina, double checking that she had everything she needed. Draco was absorbed in a conversation with a work colleague. Which left, Lucius and Scorpius loitering uncomfortably.

Conversation had never flowed easily between the two. And after the dreaded family meal they'd had, the two had never spoken. Although he didn't like to admit it, Scorpius was terrified of Lucius. The fact that he and Albus were best friends had never been entirely accepted by his grandfather. If only he knew about Rose...

Scorpius sneaked a glance at him. He still appeared as ragged and old as he had done previously, no matter how much he tried to look regal. He had a grim expression, with his nose scrunched up, as though he couldn't bear to be on the platform.

The seconds ticked away, with Narcissa and Astoria still fussing over Serephina, and Draco still absorbed in his conversation. Suddenly, something caught Scorpius' eye. Something he'd never noticed before.

On Lucius' forearm, the tip poking out from under his sleeve, Scorpius noticed something which could only be a tattoo. It was impossible to make out what it was, but still, Scorpius was impressed. He'd have never imagined it to be within his grandfather to get a tattoo.

"Just an old mark from time gone by," Lucius informed him, noticing Scorpius' stare. Scorpius jumped, startled by his grandfather talking to him, and embarrassed to have been caught gawping at what he was certain was a tattoo.

Almost proudly, Lucius hoisted up his sleeve further so that Scorpius could see the whole thing. It was a tattoo of a skull, with a snake for a tongue protruding from its mouth, and trailing down his forearm. There was something familiar about the symbol, but Scorpius couldn't quite remember. It was obvious that the tattoo had once been a sharp, jet black colour, but now it was faded and gray.

Lucius pulled his sleeve down quickly, glancing around nervously, as though worried that somebody may have seen. Scorpius didn't understand his sudden panic. After satisfied that nobody had seen, Lucius looked down at his grandson smugly. "Your father's got one too, you know."

Scorpius' eyes widened, as it dawned on him. That's where he'd seen it before. His father had an identical tattoo on his forearm too. He'd only seen it briefly a few times, but he knew it was the same. And then the question sprung to mind – why did both he and his grandfather have the same tattoo, in the exact same place? Was this some sort of Malfoy family symbol or tradition? Was he expected to get one too?

"He got it when he was only sixteen" Lucius informed him.

"Why –" Scorpius began , but at that moment the Hogwarts Express gave a short whistle, announcing that this was the final chance to board the train. Dragged towards the train by his younger sister, Scorpius never did get an answer to his question.

"Scorpius!" Albus Potter called, as Scorpius clambered onto the scarlet engine. "I thought you were gonna miss it! What took you so long?"

"Never mind" Scorpius said dismissively. "Is there an empty carriage anywhere?"

Albus shook his head. "Don't worry though, now that you and Rose are friends we can sit with her."

Scorpius relaxed slightly, and he couldn't help but smile. "Perfect" he said, allowing Albus to lead him down the corridor. It really was perfect. Uninterrupted hours spent with Albus and Rose was about the best situation he could imagine. They would be able to have a proper conversation, and he would get to learn all about her. No little sisters or grumpy caretakers getting in the way. Just the three of them.

"In here" Albus directed, opening up a carriage door near the back of the train. Scorpius followed him in eagerly and then stopped abruptly. His joy quickly turned to annoyance. Sure enough, Rose was sat in the carriage, looking more beautiful than ever, but so were three others...

"I didn't know her friends would be here too" he hissed angrily in Albus' ear.

Albus ignored him and closed the carriage door behind them.

"Hey Al" Rose said cheerily, waving at her cousin. "Who's your –" She had been about to ask Albus who his friend was, noticing that somebody else was behind him, but stopped mid-sentence, catching her breath in her throat. "Scorpius" she croaked in horror, trying to hide her embarrassment, and failing miserably. He held up a hand awkwardly, in response.

The whole carriage had gone completely silent. Albus slid into a seat opposite Rose, leaving Scorpius no choice but to sit next to her. He went to sit down, however at that precise moment the train lurched forward, beginning their journey. Scorpius fell onto the seat clumsily, inches away from falling into her lap. This was not a great start, he thought to himself.

Rose cleared her throat awkwardly. "Umm, this is Janey" Rose mumbled, pointing to the girl on her right. Scorpius nodded at the blonde girl, recognising her instantly as having a reputation for gossip and boys. She was loud mouthed and gobby, and currently gawping at him in shock.

"That's Taylor" Rose continued, pointing to the gawky girl opposite Janey. "You already know Albus, and err, that's Sam" she finished, pointing to the boy directly opposite her.

"We've met" he said in a hostile manner, glaring at the uninvited guest. Scorpius gulped, thinking back to the ball, and the way he and Sam had very nearly had a fight over Rose.

"So where's Gwen?" Albus asked casually, ignorant to how uncomfortable everybody felt.

"She's with Mason" Rose explained, also trying to ignore the tense atmosphere.

"Oh... Is Evangeline about?" he asked hopefully.

"We're not friends with her" Janey said quickly, scowling at the mention of the Russian Princess. "So why should we know?"

Albus looked taken aback. "I just thought –"

"Evangeline stayed at Hogwarts" Rose interrupted, trying to avoid a spat between the two of them, knowing perfectly well how easy it was to wind up Janey.

"Of course..." he said, looking disappointed.

The minutes ticked on, although it felt like hours. The only sounds made were the distant buzzing of people chatting in other carriages, and the steady rumbling of the train moving. Not once did Sam break his beady-eyed glare at Scorpius.

"I have a new boyfriend" Janey announced.

"Not again" Taylor muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Wow, congrats Janey!" Rose exclaimed, feigning excitement. "What's his name?"

She shrugged. "Jason, or Justin or something..."

Rose nodded keenly. "Why don't you go and find him?" she hinted.

Janey looked thoughtful. "What, and miss all the excitement round here?" she joked. "Just kidding" she clarified, "I'm outta here." And with that, she flounced off, leaving the four of them in stony silence.

Rose widened her eyes at Taylor, and tilted her head sharply in Sam's direction. After a few minutes of silent exchanges between the two, Taylor got the message and sighed heavily. "Come on Sam" she said in a bored voice. For the first time since Scorpius had entered the carriage, he looked away. Rose smiled sweetly at Taylor.

"What?" he asked, confused.

She stood up. "We're leaving" she told him bossily.

"What?" he repeated.

"We're going to see Gwen and Mason and James."

"But I don't want –"

"_We're leaving._"

"Fine" he grumbled, moodily trudging out of the door after her. He turned around to throw one last, accusing look at Scorpius.

"Finally" Rose sighed, beginning to relax now that only her, Scorpius and Albus were sat in the carriage.

"That wasn't awkward at all" Scorpius joked, breaking into a smile.

"At least we can spread out a bit more now" Rose said, inching away from him.

"That's a shame. We don't have too" he said flirtatiously. Rose broke into a fit of giggles.

"Umm, I'm still here, you know" Albus piped up, raising his eyebrows at the two of them

They stopped laughing immediately. "Right, yeah, umm, sorry" Rose apologised solemnly.

The next few hours that passed by were pure bliss. There was no awkwardness between the three of them, as though they'd been best friends forever. Conversation flowed naturally – it was a perfect combination.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" a soft, elderly voice called, rapping on the door to their carriage. Rose reached into her pocket to get her money out, but Scorpius stopped her.

"Don't worry" he told her kindly. "I've got this."

He went out into the corridor to make his purchases, leaving Rose behind, grinning from ear to ear and blushing almost as deep as her roots.

"I'm kinda confused" Albus announced to her, looking puzzled.

"What's up, Al?" Rose asked, praying that he would be more approving of Rose's affections towards Scorpius than James was.

"Well it's just that you and Scorpius get on so well."

She gulped.

"I mean, we've all been in the same class for nearly four years now" he continued, "And Scorpius and I have been best friends since our first year, and you and I have been cousins since _forever_. So why on Earth have the two of you never talked before?"

Rose considered how to respond. She couldn't tell him the truth because that would mean revealing Scorpius' secret, and it would raise far too many questions. "I guess fate never brought us together until now" she said, cringing with how soppy it sounded.

Albus didn't look entirely convinced, and looked as though he was about to press the matter further. Luckily, Scorpius returned to the carriage at that moment. "You look like a chocolate frog kind of girl" he said, tossing her a handful of chocolate frogs.

She laughed, reaching out to catch them. "Gee thanks, Scorpius. You're the first one to ever call me a frog" she joked, trying to act mock offended.

"You know what I mean" he said with a wink. "Here you go Al" he said, tossing a handful to Albus, just as the carriage door slid open. Rose dropped her chocolate frogs in shock. Scorpius froze in his seat.

For a moment, time seemed to stop moving. James Potter blinked in surprise as he noticed Scorpius cowering on the seat next to Rose. His eyes widened as he looked from Scorpius to Rose to Albus. He opened his mouth to make a snide comment, then seemed to think better of it and closed his mouth. He turned to address Albus. "Lily's looking for you" he told him with a bored expression. Then without a single word, he turned on his heel and left.

In some ways, Rose hated this reaction more than if James had been furious and threatened Scorpius. It would be far much more in character. This exhausted, lifeless James unsettled Rose. Scorpius shifted in his seat uncomfortably, next to her.

Albus looked annoyed, and left the carriage swiftly, grumbling as he went.

"James really doesn't like me, does he?" Scorpius asked miserably. It's not that he wanted James Potter to like him. It was more that he wanted Rose's family to like him and accept him. And unfortunately, James was her family... At least Albus didn't have a problem with him.

"I told you before. I don't care what James thinks" Rose said defiantly.

He nodded meekly, trying to build his confidence back up after the awkward encounter that had just occurred. "Your boyfriend doesn't like me either" he said with a wicked grin.

"What boyfriend?"

"You know... Tyler."

"Sam is _not _my boyfriend!" she said furiously.

"Does he know that?"

She shoved him playfully. "Of course he does."

"Well I'm glad he's not your boyfriend" he said coyly.

"And why is that?" Rose' heart was beating wildly.

"Because you kissed me, and that would have been totally unacceptable!"

She rolled her eyes. "As I recall, _you _kissed _me_!"

"I couldn't help myself."

"I'm back" Albus announced loudly, slipping back into the carriage. Rose leapt back in shock, only just aware of how close she and Scorpius had gotten.

"What did Lily want?" she asked casually.

"To borrow money" he said irritably.

"Lily sent James to ask you for money? That doesn't make sense..."

Albus shrugged. "Oh well, who did you get on your cards?" he asked, nodding to the empty chocolate frog wrappers.

"Merlin" Rose replied, holding up her card.

Scorpius realised he hadn't even looked at his yet. He flipped it over to reveal the picture of a fairly young wizard with vivid red hair. "I got your Dad!" he exclaimed in surprise, holding it up to show Rose. "Ronald Weasley" he read aloud, just in case she didn't recognise her own father...

"Well that's embarrassing" she said, rolling her eyes.

He shrugged. "I don't know... I think he seems pretty cool. I wish my Dad was on a chocolate frog card..." He trailed off, trying to imagine Draco doing something worthy enough to be on a chocolate frog card. Something Scorpius could be proud of him for. His thoughts were interrupted as Albus' next exclamation brought him back to reality.

"We're here!"


	28. Mystery

**Chapter 28 – Mystery**

Absorbed in the bustling crowd, Rose found herself separated from Albus and Scorpius as students swarmed off of the train, only to be shortly joined by Lily and Serephina.

"Hey Rose" Lily greeted cheerily, instantly filling Rose with suspicion. Over the two years Lily had been attending Hogwarts, she had hardly ever singled her out. Regardless of the fact that they were cousins, due to Lily being in Ravenclaw the two didn't often spend time together at school. And as for Serephina... Rose had only met her a few months ago.

"Enjoy the ride?" Lily continued, noticing that Rose hadn't greeted her back. Serephina giggled on her other side. Rose looked at her quizzically, causing Serephina to promptly fall silent.

"It was no different than any other journey on the Hogwarts Express" Rose replied with a shrug, trying to disguise her downright lie. It had been the most amazing journey she'd ever experienced on the scarlet engine, but Lily and Serephina needn't know this.

"Let's drop the act" Lily said seriously, dropping her voice so only Rose and Serephina could hear her. "Did you get any further with Scorpius?"

Rose looked away, feeling flustered and embarrassed. "Honestly Lily – I really have no idea what you're talk-"

"Did you kiss?" Serephina asked eagerly, cutting across her.

Rose could feel the blood rushing to her face as her eyes widened at Serephina's question. "Of – of course not" she stuttered, appalled with how direct they were both being. "We were on the train to school – we just talked!"

Serephina and Lily exchanged glances. Lily looked agitated. "I presented you with a perfect situation. The two of you were alone at the back of the train. Use your head Rose – you should have kissed him!"

"Lily" Rose said sternly. "There is a time and place for everything. What was I supposed to do? Randomly throw myself at him as soon as we were alone?"

"Well _yeah._"

Serephina giggled again. Rose sighed.

"And anyway, how exactly do you even know that we were alone? How did _you _present us with a perfect-" She stopped suddenly in the middle of the path, causing a few Slytherins to shout in alarm as they walked into her. Rose ignored them, frozen to the spot, suddenly understanding. "_Oh my God._"

"What?" Lily asked nervously, whilst Serephina hurriedly muttered apologies to the grumbling students who were forced to walk around them.

"_Oh my God._" Rose repeated, eyes wide. "Lily" she yelped, tossing her head to glare at her cousin, "you did this on purpose – you planned all of this!"

"What do you mean?" she asked, failing to mask the anxious look that flitted into her soft brown eyes.

"The train – Albus – you sent James to get him so that Scorpius and I would be alone – you didn't want to borrow money" she accused in disgust.

"Keep your voice down" Lily muttered, grabbing hold of her sleeve and dragging her forwards so that they were moving again. "I watched all of the others leave the compartment, and knew that you needed a way to get Albus out of the way. So I helped" she explained innocently, beginning to relax again. But Rose was furious.

"Lily, I didn't want Albus out of the way!" she protested. "And why on Earth did you have to send James to our compartment – do you have any idea how awkward and tense that situation was?"

"If I'd gone to your compartment then Albus wouldn't have left" she explained with the air of talking to a toddler, or somebody very simple. This infuriated Rose even more.

"Lily I don't _want _you interfering with my life, _or_ mine and Scorpius' relationship. We're doing fine by ourselves" she growled fiercely.

Lily seemed unfazed. "If you were doing fine by yourselves then you would've already had your first kiss by now – and without our help I don't see that happening any time soon. In fact if you keep going at this rate, you won't have it until you're both out of Hogwarts!"

Rose required all her strength to resist screaming at Lily the truth that Scorpius had in fact already kissed her. Even so, a sly smile played on her lips. Before either Lily or Serephina could notice, she frowned quickly, giving Lily her most furious expression. "We don't need your help" she repeated calmly. "Yours either" she added quickly, turning to glare at Serephina as well. Serephina giggled again. Lily merely sighed, clearly exasperated.

"There's one thing I don't understand though" Rose wondered aloud. Neither of them responded. Lily looked on ahead grumpily, looking comical due to her petite size – like an angry pixie. Rose continued anyway, "why are you so keen on Scorpius and me getting together anyway? I mean, you don't really believe this prophecy thing do you?"

Lily faltered for a second, looking genuinely confused. "What proph-" she began, then corrected herself quickly as realisation dawned. "I'm just trying to be nice" she assured her older cousin. "I just want you both to be happy you know" she said, clearly flustered at her slip up. "See you around Rose" she mumbled quickly, before flouncing off in a panic, with Serephina dashing ahead to catch up.

"Bye Rose" she yelled over the crowd, flashing her a warm smile as an afterthought, before disappearing into the hordes of students making their way to the castle. But Rose's attention was focused on Lily's erratic behaviour. As much as she would like to think that Lily really did care about her and Scorpius' happiness, there was something suspicious going on... something that Lily wasn't letting on... something she was trying to hide... a mystery that Rose was determined to get to the bottom of.


	29. Fury

**Chapter 29 – Fury**

"Good evening Rose" Professor Longbottom said cheerily with a nod in Rose's direction. She jumped slightly at the sound of her name, abandoning her desperate search to find Albus and Scorpius, all thoughts and suspicions about Lily's intentions fading away.

"Good evening Sir" she said politely, offering him a warm smile. It still felt bizarre to address Neville like this, considering she'd known him all of her life.

"Good holiday?" he asked, as they walked side by side into the castle.

"I suppose so" she said half-heartedly, trying to remember anything that had actually occurred over the Easter. "Oh!" she exclaimed, suddenly remembering. "Actually – Teddy and Victoire got engaged!"

"Really? That's wonderful!"

Rose nodded eagerly by his side, unsure of what to say next. "Yeah – they're getting married in the Summer. I'm sure you can come."

"I look forward to my invitation! And I'd really love to stay and chat, but I've got a house to organise." And with a wave of his hand he too disappeared into the crowd, trying to round up all the Gryffindor students into some sort of orderly fashion. Rose trailed behind him, deep in thought.

* * *

After what seemed like a particularly uneventful welcome back feast, in which she'd spent the entire meal sat with Albus, Rose thought it best to retreat back to the dorm room. The common room was packed full, but Rose really wasn't in the mood to have to deal with James or Sam or any other inconveniences she may come across. She craved solitude, wanting time to think about Scorpius or perhaps Lily's odd behaviour.

She was therefore extremely surprised to open the door to find the room full - full in the sense that Janey, Gwen and Taylor were all there. The three of them were all perched on Taylor's bed, apparently in deep conversation, but all heads turned towards Rose sharply as she entered, silence falling abruptly in the room.

Rose was about to say something friendly – ask if they'd had nice holidays or enjoyed the feast, but something about their expressions made her stop. She was met not with three friendly faces, pleased to see her, but with what could only be described as glares of pure hatred, and it unsettled her greatly.

Gwen's gaze dropped to the floor guiltily, immediately sending waves of paranoia surging through Rose's body. "Were you – were you talking about me?" she asked quietly, her hand shaking as she closed the door behind her.

Nobody spoke. Janey and Taylor exchanged glances, and Gwen kept her eyes fixed firmly on the floor. "I don't understand" Rose said, trying to keep her voice from wavering. "Is there something I've done wrong?" she asked, racking her brain for anything that she'd done that may have caused them to act like this, at the same time desperately willing them to in fact not have been discussing her, and it all just be her paranoid mind running free.

As usual with any argument, Janey was first to speak up and speak her mind. "Would you like to tell us why you made us leave the compartment earlier?"

Rose relaxed a little, even letting out a small laugh of relief. Was that all? She thought she'd done something so horrendously wrong that they'd somehow all turned against her. "That was nothing Janey - I thought you wanted to spend time with your new boyfriend anyway?"

"We broke up" she said fiercely.

"I – I didn't know" Rose replied quickly, dropping her smile immediately. "I'm sorry Janey." She took a step towards the bed, resolving to hug her in comfort, but there was something in Janey's eyes that flashed like a warning, compelling her to stay put.

"You don't care" Taylor said so quietly that Rose thought she'd imagined it.

"I – of course I do" Rose stuttered in defence, completely flummoxed by this remark. Janey had gone through so many different boyfriends that it was hard to take her seriously anymore, but that didn't mean that she didn't care about Janey's feelings.

"No" she said more loudly, "you don't. The only person you care about is yourself."

Rose was lost for words – where was all this coming from? "Taylor, you know that's not true" she replied breathlessly.

"Oh isn't it?" Her tone was patronising now, and her voice getting louder with every word. "Then why did you force me and Sam to leave too? We've been your friends since the very first day at Hogwarts, and we have always stood by your side and been completely loyal to you. You've known Scorpius Malfoy for all of three months and suddenly you're blowing us out to spend time with him?"

"Taylor please" she begged. "It wasn't like that at all – he didn't have anywhere to sit and I just didn't want him to feel intimidated by you all." This wasn't strictly true, but Rose was desperate – she couldn't lose her friends over such a silly little thing.

Janey mumbled a swear word under her breath. It was obvious that nobody believed her.

"Since when did you value Scorpius Malfoy more than you value us?"

Rose couldn't help but notice the way Taylor's nose scrunched up when she was angry – it was bizarrely comical and she had the strange urge to burst into laughter, but now was not the time. That was perhaps the worst thing she could do in a situation like this.

"How could you ever think that? He doesn't mean anything to me. Not in the way that you guys do anyway."

Taylor ignored her. "Ever since he took an interest in you, you've been acting differently."

"I'm the same person I was when I met him" Rose choked out. Every word Taylor said was like a dagger inside her, but to cry in front of them was the worst thing she could do. She had to stay strong, and let them know how much she cared.

"NO" Taylor yelled in fury, actually rising from the bed so that they were face to face. "The Rose Weasley I met nearly four years ago wouldn't have skipped class to hang out with some guy she barely knows. She wouldn't have gotten detention, or be having private chats with the headmistress. She would never steal her cousin's invisibility cloak to sneak out of the castle in the middle of the night. She wouldn't be disloyal to her house, or her friends, or her family. And she would never, _never_, push away her best and most loyal friends for somebody, who quite frankly doesn't have a reputation for being honest and trustworthy."

Silence fell in the room. Rose could see the fury in Taylor's eyes – a fury she'd clearly been keeping to herself for a while – an anger that had been building up for the past few months. Every word that Taylor yelled stung her, because she knew deep down that it was true. Scorpius _had _changed her. But she liked it. She loved how reckless she could all of a sudden be – this new Rose was different, but she was exciting, and if her friends wouldn't support her, then perhaps they weren't real friends.

Rose had always been the peacekeeper between the Gryffin-Girls whenever they'd argued. She'd never been the cause of an argument before, and they'd never had an argument like this since Neville had told them how disappointed he'd been about the whole Evangeline thing.

"And you all think this do you?" she asked coldly, deliberately glaring at Janey, and then at Gwen who refused to look up at her.

Janey stood up to stand by Taylor's side, as though emphasising her opinion. "We just want the old you back" she said almost pleadingly, and Rose saw a glimpse of a young innocent child deep within Janey's eyes – some kind of sympathetic emotion that she'd never displayed before. She looked like a little child, so vulnerable that Rose nearly had a change of heart.

"I thought you were my friends. I thought I could count on you to be there for me and support me. When I'm with Scorpius I feel alive and real and if you can't be happy for me then what kind of friends does that make you to me? Ever since Gwen got a boyfriend she's barely around anymore, but have any of us made a fuss about that? No – of course not, because we're friends and friends support each other. So why, when I start hanging out with Scorpius, do you all overreact like this, and make such a huge fuss about it?"

Gwen rose from the bed with such a fierce, feline motion that Rose actually took a step back. "Don't make this about me" she growled. "If you ever had a problem with me and Mason then you should have said so."

"I _don't _have a problem" Rose replied defensively. "I just meant that-"

"We know what you meant" Taylor cut across her. "It's different with Gwen. She doesn't push us away, we're welcome to hang out with her and Mason whenever we want and we don't have to change for her. But with you, we're not even allowed to share a train compartment with you, just because you want to hang out with Scorpius? That's not what friendship should be about!"

"But that's-"

"Do you know what I had to put up with, just so you could have a nice time with your new boyfriend?"

"Scorpius isn't my-"

"I had to spend _hours _listening to Sam drone on and whine about how much he hates Scorpius and how much he doesn't deserve you, and let me tell you- "

"NO" Rose screamed, fed up with Taylor interrupting her. She was certain by now that her face must be as red as her hair. "Just shut up and let me speak!"Taylor looked startled with her outburst. "The only reason you're not okay with this is because you're jealous of what Scorpius and I have!"

Taylor's eyes were so wide that with her glasses in front she looked like an angry bug, and her hair seemed particularly bushy. Rose took a deep breath, knowing that there was still time to back out is she wanted to. But something within pushed her further. "I know exactly what's going on. You can't handle the fact that I'm more popular than you, and smarter than you, and err..."

"What?"

"You spend every day pining over somebody who will never love you. You resent the fact that Professor Longbottom never looks at you twice, and that he will never, _never,_ be yours. You were fine when Janey first got a boyfriend, and fine when Gwen got one too. But now that things are getting serious between Scorpius and I, you're terrified that you'll be left alone, and you can't handle the fact that nobody will ever love you like that!"

Rose didn't even know how much of this she genuinely believed; whether she believed any of it at all. She didn't know where these words were coming from, and as she stood in the room, hands shaking by her side, it only just begun to sunk in exactly what she'd said. But there was nothing she could do now. She'd already spoken. The damage was done.

Tears were streaming down Taylor's face, absorbed by the bushiness of her hair, and her skin was red and splotchy, making her as undesirable as she'd ever appeared before. Janey was eerily quiet, making no motion whatsoever to either comfort Taylor or get angry at Rose. Gwen simply stared in shock, disgusted by what had just been said.

"You know what?" Taylor said quietly. Rose was disturbed by how clear and controlled her voice was. There was no shakiness or stuttering – only calm and quiet determination.

"What?"Rose mumbled, using all her strength to not to burst into tears.

"You're a bitch."

And without a single glance back, Rose fled from the room, horrified by the cruel things she'd said, and devastated by the realisation that her friends had turned on her. They would never let her back. They'd kick her out like they'd done with Evangeline. But did she really blame them? Could she even believe what had just happened? Had she honestly just said what she thought she did?

Shaking her head as she ran, she hurtled straight for the portrait hole, with one goal in mind. She didn't know where it was exactly, or what she was going to do when she got there, but she never looked back as she ran towards the dungeons – in search of the Slytherin common room.


	30. The Slytherins

**Chapter 30 – The Slytherins**

As she ran through the castle, Rose was strongly reminded of the day of the eventful Quidditch match. The way she'd dashed across the pitch, never questioning her intentions, just knowing that right there in that moment she needed to do what she was doing. It was late in the evening, perhaps too late to be wandering the castle, but Rose didn't care. She didn't stop until at long last she'd reach the dungeons.

It was eerily silent, but the sound of Rose's racing heartbeat was ringing in her ears. What now? She stood still, gazing around the corridor she stood in, before turning in circles, unsure of what her next move should be. She hadn't passed a single person on her way down – only a few ghosts, and thankfully not Peeves! But now any indication of some other human would be greatly appreciated.

She assumed everybody would be in their common rooms, but just where exactly was the Slytherin common room? And if by some miracle she happened to stumble across it, what would she do then? All she wanted to do was talk to Scorpius, even just seeing his face would be enough. She had to know that there was at least one person who didn't despise her.

But it seemed highly unlikely that a fourth year Gryffindor girl would be allowed access into the Slytherin common room, and how on Earth would Scorpius react if she randomly showed up. She began to realise that sometimes thinking things through beforehand was extremely beneficial. For what seemed like hours she simply stood there, completely clueless as to what to do, though in reality it couldn't have been more than a few minutes.

When it seemed like she wasn't going to get any further in her quest, Rose decided to give up hope and return to the Gryffindor tower. It would be utterly humiliating to return to her dorm room and face her fellow Gryffin-Girls, but sooner or later it was going to have to happen, so she may as well get it over with. It was with this thought in mind that she turned on her heel, only to walk straight into the extremely surprised Russian princess.

"Rose?"

"Evangeline?"

"What are you doing down here?"

"What are _you_ doing down here?"

Evangeline tossed her hair over her shoulder with a smug smile. "I am royalty – I can go wherever I like. And tonight I wish to spend my time with the Slytherins."

Rose didn't push it any further. She still regretted the way they'd treated her. "So do you know how to get into the common room?"

"Of course" she said with a casual shrug. "It isn't particularly difficult, providing you know the password" she informed her patronisingly.

"Do you – do you know the password?" Rose asked, slightly wary of how lucky she felt. It couldn't possibly be this easy?

Evangeline smiled sweetly. "I do. And may I ask why you wish to enter the common room also? I thought students from different houses were not allowed in each other's common rooms."

Rose gulped. "I have to deliver an urgent message" she squeaked, praying that Evangeline wouldn't see through this lie, and just let her be. She raised a perfectly lined eyebrow suspiciously. It was incredibly intimidating.

"Well if you're sure...

Rose nodded eagerly.

"Alright then – come with me."

With a feeling of great elation pumping in her heart, Rose followed Evangeline down the corridor, until at last they reached a door which she was certain must be the door to the common room. Even then she could hear muffled voices from somewhere behind the wall. Perhaps one of them belonged to Scorpius... Her pulse quickened.

Rose was so intent on listening to the voices that she didn't even hear as Evangeline spoke the password, and the door flung open to reveal a passage way. Immediately the voices sounded louder.

Terrified by what would happen once she got to the end of the passage, but also extremely excited at the same time, Rose trailed behind Evangeline. As they emerged from the passage, Rose actually let out a small gasp of wonder. The Slytherin common room was completely different to what she'd expected – she'd imagined it to be almost identical to the Gryffindor one, only in shades of green and silver, with the Slytherin crest plastered on every wall. To some extent her visions was accurate – there really were Slytherin wall hangings, and the room did seem to mainly consist of green, silver, and black, but the furniture and layout of the room seemed much more classy and elegant. To her surprise there was just as bustling and welcoming an atmosphere as in the Gryffindor common room. Somehow she'd expected it to be much more serious and sophisticated, with students sat around discussing blood status and worldly matters. She looked down guiltily, ashamed of her stereotypical assumptions.

Several people exclaimed at Evangeline's presence, calling out and waving to her. Nobody seemed to care, or perhaps even notice, that an uninvited Gryffindor student was loitering just behind her.

Evangeline seemed absolutely delighted with this welcome, and greeted Slytherins as she walked through the centre of the room. Feeling slightly scared and intimated, as though she had been abandoned in enemy territory, Rose ran to catch up with her. Afraid of what would happen if she was separated from the one person she was certain she knew.

A few of the Slytherins seemed to recognise Rose, whilst others eyed her suspiciously, but nobody questioned her presence. She smiled at them meekly as she walked by, recognising people but not being able to match names with faces. At last she realised where Evangeline was heading – towards a group of around seven people all huddled in a corner of the room, all positioned around a sleek black sofa and several arm chairs. Rose didn't recognise any of them, but thought they must be around her age.

Suddenly her heart gave a lurch with the realisation that she did in fact know who one of them was. The unmistakable pale blond hair and pointed chin, undeniably belonged to Scorpius Malfoy. Without realising, her face broke into a wide smile at the sight of him. He hadn't noticed her yet.

"What's new everybody?" Evangeline asked as they eventually approached the group. They all looked up excitedly at the sound of her voice, immediately clearing a space for her to sit on the sofa. Scorpius eventually looked up to see Evangeline, dragging his eyes away from the fireplace he'd been watching intently. For a brief moment he stared straight at Rose, before allowing his eyes to roll past her with a vacant expression. Rose felt disappointed.

Scorpius did a double take quickly, letting out a cry of surprise. "Rose!" he exclaimed in disbelief, mouth agape. All at once the other Slytherins began to notice that Evangeline was not alone. They peered at Rose with curiosity.

"Hi Scorpius" she said bashfully, suddenly overcome with how unexpected and bizarre her presence in the Slytherin common room must be.

"I – I don't believe it! I mean it's great, but what – what are you doing here?" he eventually managed to stutter, eyes still wide with shock.

"I found her wandering the corridors outside your common room" Evangeline informed him. A few of the others laughed at her comment, making her look pleased. Scorpius stared at her quizzically.

"I know I shouldn't be here, and I'm probably not allowed, but I just had an argument with the girls in my dorm and, umm, needed a place to come to." Nobody seemed to know how to respond. "It was stupid of me" Rose continued with a laugh, "In fact I don't even know what I was thinking – I'll leave right away." She turned to head back to the door, but Evangeline clutched at her arm, preventing her from leaving.

"Rose, as long as you are with me then you can go wherever you want, and I give you permission to be here, so please stay. I'm sure nobody here would mind." She extended her other arm around the gathering. Everybody abruptly murmured in agreement with her.

"Hey you two" one of the girls called to an entwined couple in the armchair next to Scorpius. "Stop making out and clear some space." They broke apart looking dazed, then extracted themselves from the armchair compliantly, only to retreat to a distant corner and begin kissing again. The girl rolled her eyes, and Rose thanked her before settling into the chair, feeling completely out of place. Scorpius was still watching her, completely stunned. She smiled at him timidly. Realising what he was doing, he seemed to snap back into reality, and grinned at her broadly, delighted that she was here.

"So" the girl who had cleared the chair for her said, once everybody had settled down again, "is anybody going to introduce us? I mean, of course we all know who you are" she said nodding to Rose, "but I'm guessing you don't know us?"

Before Rose could reply, Scorpius cut in quickly. "This is Ebony Darkbrow" Scorpius said indicating to the girl. Rose examined her in detail. She was breathtakingly beautiful, with skin as smooth and white as porcelain, and long, thick, black hair, not unlike Professor Bobbin's, preened to perfection. Her eyelashes were long and dark, her lips soft and red. And although she was currently sat down, Rose could tell she had a slim and dainty figure, and was probably several inches taller than her. Rose did not often feel envy, but being in the presence of such a perfect human being made her feel uneasy. She smiled at her politely.

"This is Melody and Marissa" Scorpius told her, pointing to the next two girls along from Ebony. "They're identical twins" he informed her, although it was quite unnecessary, as Rose could see no physical difference between the two whatsoever. The only thing that set them apart was their clothing. Had they been in their uniform then Rose would have been utterly stumped.

"Obviously you know Evangeline" he continued along the sofa, "and this is Deneb Jacobson." She smiled politely at the dark-haired, dark-eyed boy who sat beside the princess. Rose couldn't help but notice the way Evangeline stared at him in awe. He seemed dark and mysterious and overly manly, which sort of scared her. She vaguely recognised him from the Slytherin Quidditch team, but during the last few matches it had only really been Scorpius that she'd properly watched. "He's actually in the year above us – keeper on the Quidditch team too" Scorpius said. Rose smiled, delighted that she'd got something right.

"And that delightful couple in the corner are Jinx and Albireo" Ebony told her, nodding towards the snoggers who had previously been sat in her chair.

"Jinx?" Rose interrupted quizzically, thinking what peculiar names they all seemed to have.

"Her name's actually Juliette, but she's quite fierce and has a knack for jinxes, so it just sort of stuck" Ebony explained. "They first got together in second year and have been on-again, off-again, ever since. They're currently on again, in case you hadn't realised!" Rose laughed along with the others courteously. "Also, she's a metamorphmagus, so don't be alarmed if you ever see her with bright pink hair." Rose was relieved that she knew Teddy Lupin, and therefore knew what a metamorphmagus was. She was always in awe of his special abilities to change his appearance at will.

"Well that's everybody" Scorpius concluded. "And, err, this is Rose Weasley" Scorpius said, addressing the others while gesturing towards Rose.

Ebony and the twins smirked together, automatically filling Rose's body with dread and nerves. "Oh we know all about Rose, don't you worry Scorpius" she teased. As Scorpius looked away and his cheeks filled with colour, Rose relaxed, trying to withhold the delight she felt at their comment, knowing exactly where this was heading. "With as famous a family as you have Rose, we'd heard of you already. But who could possibly forget the two of you dancing at Evangeline's ball, or that hug at the Quidditch match." Her eyes twinkled with mischief as she spoke, enjoying tormenting Scorpius and causing him to blush. Rose instantly liked her. She was kind, she was sweet, and she seemed fun to be around. All memories of Taylor and the argument had almost been completely erased.

"So how exactly is it that you two know each other?" she prompted, aiming her question at Scorpius.

"We're in the same potions class" he said quickly. "But let's please talk of something else. What was it you were saying before?" he asked in a desperate attempt to change the subject.

Ebony looked bemused. "As a matter of fact, we'd been discussing couples." Scorpius looked irritated. "How's it going with you and James Potter?" she asked Evangeline, whom looked delighted to talk about herself, and took great enjoyment in informing them of how wonderful and in love she and James were. Rose bit her lip to prevent her speaking up and exposing Evangeline for the liar that she was. After all if it weren't for her then she wouldn't even have gotten in the common room.

"And what about you Rose?"

"Me, huh?" Rose asked, startled by the sound of her own name.

"Of course" Ebony said sweetly, "do you have a boyfriend?" She felt Scorpius' gaze flicker towards her, but daren't look at him. Was what she and Scorpius had classed as an exclusive relationship? They'd never really talked about, but they had kissed, and made it quite clear that they were interested in each other. Would he be hurt if she said no? Would he be annoyed if she said yes?

The mysterious boy Deneb leaned in closer. "Surely a pretty young thing like you can't be single." She blushed. He had a friendly sort of twinkle in his eye.

"I –" Rose began, prepared to say that she was in fact single. If she and Scorpius hadn't labelled anything, then surely that meant they weren't a couple.

"Actually Rose does have a boyfriend" Scorpius cut across her, coming across as defensive and overprotective. Rose didn't know what his intentions were, but she relished in the thought that he seemed to be protecting her. Deneb leaned back in his chair looking disappointed.

Ebony looked as though she was going to press the matter further, but a quick glare from Scorpius' direction made her think better of it. "Well that's sweet" she said instead. "You're a very lucky girl."

"Didn't you say you came here to deliver an urgent message?" Evangeline piped up, looking at Rose suspiciously. Rose began to panic then. That was the lie she'd fed Evangeline earlier so that she'd let her in the common room.

"Err, yeah I did" she gulped, "umm, I need to talk to you Scorpius" she said, thinking fast. He looked confused and concerned.

"Right, well ok. We can go over there" he said, pointing to a secluded corner.

"Great" she replied, tying to banish all thought of what Jinx and Albireo were doing in their own secluded corner, and what it would be like if that were her and Scorpius instead...

He grasped her wrist and steered her towards the corner. She wished he would hold her hand instead. "Is everything alright?" he asked when they were far enough so that the others wouldn't be able to hear.

Rose was conscious that the others were probably watching them. "I don't have a message" she said quietly, "I just wanted to see you."

"So you –"

"What was that all about?" she interrupted, dying to know what his intentions were.

"What do you mean?"

"You told them I had a boyfriend" she breathed, longing for the words she was dying to hear.

He looked embarrassed, and shifted his weight uncomfortably. "I was just trying to protect you" he mumbled. "Deneb Jacobson had his eye on you, and he's a bit of a heartbreaker."

She tried to mask her disappointment. He'd only said it to keep Deneb away, not because he wanted to be with her. "Maybe my heart needs to be broken" she said slightly angrily. After all, he had no right to prevent her from seeing other people if he didn't plan on being with her anyway.

"You're heart will never be broken as long as I'm around. I'll never let that happen." He spoke softly, but there was fierceness in his eyes. She was in awe of him, yet part of her wanted to confess that he _was _breaking her heart. "Anyway" he said louder, clearing his throat, "he's not your type."

"And what is my type?"

He leaned against the wall trying to look cool and casual. A mischievous smirk formed on his face. "You know" he said with a shrug, "tall, blond hair, green eyes..."

"Oh really?" she teased.

"You know it" he said in a low voice and a twinkle in his eye. She felt flustered, wondering if he knew exactly what effect he had on her.

"Maybe... and what if it was?" She was desperately trying to provoke him into saying the words. His taunting was annoying, but if she didn't play along then she would only leave feeling even more uncertain. But to be blunt would be humiliating.

He leaned down so that they were face to face. In that moment she didn't even care that people may be watching her, all she wanted was to kiss him. She longed for him to close the gap and press his lips to hers, but she remained strong. She needed him to say the words. "You tell me" he finally whispered.

"Stop teasing me" she said louder than she'd meant to. He returned to his upright position, looking startled. That was not the reaction he had been expecting. "Do you want to be with me or not?" she demanded furiously.

"Rose" he said awkwardly, glancing over her shoulder. She guessed that people must be watching them curiously. But she didn't have time for games. She didn't want to spend her whole life guessing. It was time to be blunt and straightforward, no matter how humiliating it was. Maybe now he'd give her a proper answer.

"I don't care if you don't" she lied, "because of your parents or your reputation or whatever, but it's not fair that you treat me like this. I've lost my friends for you, and James, and I don't want it all to be a waste of time – I don't want all the arguments to have been for nothing."

He looked incredibly guilty. Rose had to admit; perhaps she had been a little harsh. If she now lost Scorpius because of this then she'd be devastated. She'd have nobody left. "Rose I never meant to get in the way of your friendships or your family."

She felt bad for having lost her temper like that. After all, it wasn't his fault. Maybe there had been some truth in what Taylor had told her earlier. Maybe the new Rose wasn't good news at all. "I didn't mean that" she apologised. She took a deep breath. "I just want to know where we are. Where do we stand? Is this just for fun? Or is it something more serious. Do you honestly see us having a future together?" She looked down at the floor, dreading his answer.

"Of course I do Rose" he said quietly, so only she could hear. "You're the only girl I could ever see myself having a future with."

She looked up in disbelief. Had she heard right? Was this really happening, or was it all just a dream? "So does that mean –"

"It means that if you want to, and its fine if you honestly don't, but I would really like to be in a relationship with you." He looked incredibly young and vulnerable. Rose guessed he wasn't used to opening up like this, but she couldn't focus on that just yet.

"You mean, like, you want to be my boyfriend?" she asked, just checking that she hadn't misunderstood.

"Well, yeah" he said sheepishly. "Unless you don't want to..."

She rolled her eyes at him, not quite sure how to contain her excitement. "Do you really think I would have just made as big a fool of myself as I just did by yelling at you if I didn't?"

His face broke out into that same mischievous grin as before. "I don't know, maybe you just like making me suffer and get embarrassed."

She laughed at him. "I could never do that."

"So is that a yes?"

"It's a maybe." His smile dropped instantly. "I'm just kidding" she joked, rolling her eyes again. "Of course it's a yes!"

He looked relieved. "Now who's teasing who!?"

"Umm you guys" a new voice spoke up, causing the pair of them to turn around in shock. It was Ebony. "It's kind of late, so we're all going to bed now." Rose only just noticed that the common room was nearly empty. She began to panic again. She couldn't possibly go back to the Gryffindor Common Room now. Just the thought of wandering through Hogwarts knowing that it was way past their curfew terrified her, let alone what would happen once she had to face Janey, Gwen and Taylor. But she couldn't possibly stay in the Slytherin common room.

Ebony looked down at her sympathetically, as though she could read her thoughts. She seemed to sense her dilemma. "Me, Jinx, Melody and Marissa all share a room, but our other roommate is in the hospital wing, so there's a spare bed if you wanted to stay here tonight. Evangeline was going to sleep there but she's decided to go back to her own room."

Rose couldn't believe it. "Really? I mean, are you sure?"

"Of course. Any friend of Scorpius' is a friend of mine, and I'm sure it would be fine for just one night."

"Thank you so much" she exclaimed. She couldn't believe how genuinely nice these Slytherin girls were. All her life she'd been raised with the message drilled in her mind by her father and most of the rest of her family, that Slytherins were evil and not to be trusted. But these people that she'd known for barely more than an hour were already willing to offer her a sanctuary for the night, and hadn't Ebony just said that she considered Rose a friend? Back in Gryffindor it had taken nearly a whole year for the four of them to become the friends they were today. And with a sudden jolt, she realised that perhaps they weren't friends anymore. And for the first time that night, Rose considered that maybe this wasn't such a problem after all.

"Goodnight" she said to Scorpius sweetly.

"Sweet dreams" he murmured. "See you in the morning."


	31. Awkward Encounters

**Chapter 31 – Awkward Encounters**

Rose awoke with a start. Her bed didn't feel right. Then she realised. She wasn't in her bed, she wasn't in her room, and she wasn't even in the Gryffindor tower. She was deep beneath the castle, somewhere under the lake in fact, in a bed belonging to a Slytherin girl whom she'd never met, in a room with four Slytherin girls she'd met not even 24 hours ago.

She lay there for a while, allowing the memories of the previous day to flood back into her mind. Saying goodbye to her parents on Platform 9 and ¾, and the train journey she'd spent eating chocolate frogs with Scorpius and Albus... The argument with Taylor, and the way she'd fled to the dungeons in search of the Slytherin common room... Meeting the Slytherins and them offering her a bed for the night... And of course, the conversation that had occurred with Scorpius, confirming that they were now hopefully an official couple...

Her heart fluttered at the thought of Scorpius, but her body was enveloped by dread and regret as she thought of Taylor and the Gryffin-Girls. She couldn't stay with the Slytherin girls forever... Their roommate would be out of the hospital wing soon and would certainly want her bed back. Rose supposed she could sleep on the floor.

She let out a small gasp as she realised what she'd been considering. She could never leave Gryffindor. It was where generations of her family had grown up. It was where the sorting hat had placed her. It was where she belonged.

But hadn't the sorting hat told her that she would thrive in any of the four houses? Hadn't it said that it only placed her in Gryffindor because that's where all the rest of her family had been placed? And was it not the Slytherins who had made her feel more welcome than her own friends had? She would be closer to Scorpius here...

She wiped the thoughts clean from her mind. She was a Gryffindor and she always would be. Gryffindors were brave and did not run from their problems. She would have to return to Gryffindor today and face up to her friends. She needed to look them in the eyes and tell them she was sorry. It was the Gryffindor thing to do. And that was who she was.

She glanced around the room, trying to make out any details, but she was in complete darkness. She wasn't used to the bed, and there were far too many thoughts running through her head – it was no wonder she couldn't sleep. Judging by how dark it was, it must have been deep into the middle of the night. Rose wondered if being in the dungeons affected the light levels and made it seem much darker than it was in the Gryffindor tower. Even still, it must have been extremely early in the morning.

She partially considered leaving right then. She had no idea what it would be like to encounter these practical strangers in the morning, and thought maybe it would be better to approach the Gryffin-Girls before they went down for breakfast. But then she remembered that she was somewhere deep beneath Hogwarts and she had absolutely no clue how to navigate her way out of the dungeons and back up to the tower, especially in the pitch black darkness. She shuddered at the thought of encountering one of the ghosts, and if she got caught then she would surely be put into detention.

Rose decided to stay put, and somehow amongst all her whirring thoughts, she fluttered back into a deep sleep.

* * *

This time when Rose awoke the room was much lighter and she knew that morning was upon her. Opening her eyes ever so slightly she scanned the room. It appeared to be empty, so she sat up, wondering what the time was.

"Hey!" Rose nearly screamed as Ebony emerged from beside her own bed where she'd been rummaging in her trunk. "Sleep alright?"

"Umm yeah, great thanks" Rose lied, her heart still pounding wildly from the shock.

"Awesome. So everybody's already downstairs, but we didn't want to disturb you – you looked so peaceful. We're gonna go down to breakfast soon, so you can join us if you want."

"Thanks" Rose murmured, dazed by her surroundings.

Ebony aimed a perfect smile at her. It seemed so genuine, that Rose was filled with a warm, happy feeling. "Here" Ebony called out, tossing something onto her bed. Rose picked it up cautiously to examine, then relaxed when she realised what it was. It was an ornate silver hairbrush, with a large S on the back, which Rose realised was a snake upon closer inspection. "It's a specially designed Slytherin hairbrush that's been passed down through my family," she informed her politely. "I just thought you might like to use it."

Rose understood that this was her polite way of letting her know that she looked awful, and her hair must be a mess. "There's a mirror over there" Ebony continued to tell her, pointing out a small wall mirror by one of the twins' beds. "See you in a bit" and with a smile and a wave she strode across the room and out of the door.

Rose called out a feeble "thank you", still dazed by how nice everybody in Slytherin was, and crawled out of bed to inspect the damage. She could have looked worse, but was grateful for ebony's help. Carefully she pulled the hairbrush through her tangled hair, making sure to remove the red hairs that got caught in the hairbrush. It was only polite after all. And finally she was satisfied with the way she looked. She'd had to sleep in the clothes she'd been wearing yesterday, and obviously didn't have any clothes to change into, but she vowed to return to the Gryffindor tower as soon as breakfast was over. And then of course, she would confront her friends, if she could still call them that.

Placing the hairbrush delicately on ebony's bedside table, Rose made her way to the door rather timidly, wondering how the rest of the Slytherins would react to her presence in their common room, but once again, nobody particularly seemed to care or notice.

"Rose!" Ebony called out as soon as Rose entered the common room, beckoning her over towards the small huddle of people. Scorpius was amongst them.

"You look beautiful" he murmured when she approached them, so only she could hear. She felt herself blush as deep as red as her roots. She looked up to acknowledge who was in the gathering. Melody and Marissa were talking to Deneb slightly away from the group, and she was now stood with Ebony, Scorpius, and a girl and a boy whom she didn't recognise. Unsure whether to say hello or introduce herself, she glanced awkwardly at Scorpius and then at Ebony. She was unable to catch either of their eyes, but it was quite unnecessary as the girl spoke up on her own accord.

"So you're Rose Weasley?" she asked rather bluntly. "The Gryffindor chick who shared our room last night?"

Rose didn't really know how to respond, so she simply nodded. "Hey lay off" Scorpius said warily.

The girl looked confused. "Lay off? I'm not being mean you know, I'm just trying to get my facts straight." She glared at Scorpius, who then rolled his eyes in response. She turned her attention back to Rose. "Jinx Capella" she explained, thrusting a hand at Rose. Rose shook it, realisation dawning. Jinx had been fast asleep by the time Rose had gone to bed, and had not been properly introduced last night.

"Hi" she responded, beaming now that she recognised her. Or at least recognised her name. It had, after all, been rather hard to make out any of the girl's physical features when she'd been so glued to her boyfriend. Who Rose immediately assumed was the tall, dark-skinned boy who stood next to her.

"You must be Albireo" she said to him. He looked startled with the news that she knew his name.

"Umm yeah" he replied, also extending a hand for her to shake graciously.

"I don't know how to have my hair today" Jinx said rather loudly before anybody had a chance to say anything else. Rose remembered how Ebony had told her that Jinx was a metamorphmagus.

"You look perfect the way you are" Albireo cooed, wrapping an arm round her waist.

She ignored him, concentrating all her energy into transforming her image so that her shoulder length mousy brown hair seemed to shoot backwards into her skull, until it was a blood red pixie cut. Rose watched her in awe.

"Stop showing off" Ebony joked, "And get your butt into the great hall."

Jinx poked her tongue out at Ebony like a little child, and dragged a laughing Albireo towards the door to the passage that lead out of the common room. Ebony rolled her eyes as she too headed towards the door.

"Let's go" Scorpius said, slipping his hand into Rose's. Never in all her years had Rose thought that Scorpius Malfoy would be so daring and rebellious as to hold her hand in a room full of Slytherins. Not after all she'd heard about how judgemental and narrow-minded the Slytherins supposedly were, especially towards the Gryffindors, and even more so towards the Weasleys. And of course, not after how terrified of his parents' reactions he'd been that he had been giving Rose a forgetfulness potion for almost four years so that she'd have no idea who he was. She stared up at him in awe, full of admiration and respect.

As soon as they entered the great hall however he dropped her hand quickly. She tried not to find this motion too disheartening. Perhaps he simply wasn't ready to be that brave as to hold her hand in front of the entire school. She couldn't blame him really; she didn't think that she herself would be ready yet anyway. If either Taylor or James saw then she'd really have ruined any chance of forgiveness she may have had. And she didn't even want to think about what would happen if Albus saw his best friend and his cousin holding hands. He really was too oblivious to let that blow hit him.

"You gonna sit with us?" Jinx asked.

"I – I can't" Rose stuttered. "It's been lovely meeting you all, but I really should sit with the rest of the Gryffin-Girls." Her mouth dropped open as she realised what she'd just said. The four of them had never referred to themselves as the Gryffin-Girls, with the exception of when it was just them together up in their dormitory.

Scorpius looked bemused, and even Ebony couldn't contain her smirk, but Jinx was absolutely howling with laughter. "Is that seriously what you call yourselves!? The Gryffin-Girls! It sounds like something the first years would make up!" she continued to howl.

Rose wanted to point out that they had actually been in their first year when Janey had branded them with the title, but it was far too humiliating. Partly she was angry with Scorpius for allowing Jinx to make such a fool of her, and making no attempt whatsoever to shut her up, or jump to her defence. But then she remembered that it wasn't even his fault after all, and he probably wasn't too sure how to react, or whether to take her seriously.

"That's hilarious" she gasped, finally beginning to calm down. "Hey Eb" she yelled although Ebony was stood next to her. "Maybe we should call ourselves the _Slyther-Sisters_!" And then she was off again, leaving Rose feeling even more mortified than she previously had.

"I'll see you around" Rose mumbled quickly, before flouncing off over to the Gryffindor table before it got even worse. As Rose neared the table however, she realised that perhaps returning to her own house wasn't the better option. She felt like she would rather endure hours of Jinx's taunting rather than face up to her roommates. She felt like she'd betrayed them in more ways than one. Not only had she insulted them, but she'd also abandoned them and spent the night in a room of strangers in Slytherin, in preference to them. She knew how she'd feel if any of them had done what she'd did. She'd feel completely betrayed. And if she were in their situation would she forgive herself for the way she'd acted towards them?

But Rose Weasley did not give up that easily, and she had to at least try. If she had the courage to tell Scorpius the way she felt and ask him if he wanted to be in a relationship with her, then she was pretty sure she could have the courage to beg her friends for forgiveness. It was with this in mind that she approached the bench where she noticed them sat. And with this in mind that she prepared to do all she could to win them back.


	32. Apologies

**Chapter 32 – Apologies**

Rose slipped into the bench opposite Gwen and Janey, but Taylor was nowhere to be seen.

"Rose!" Gwen exclaimed, dropping her spoon with an almighty crash.

"Oh my gosh! What the hell happened to you last night?" Janey shrieked.

Rose began to relax ever so slightly, they seemed concerned rather than angry with her. "Umm, I have kind of a lot to say" Rose explained bashfully. "Is Taylor around?" she asked, glancing down the table just in case she'd overlooked her.

Janey and Gwen exchanged a nervous glance. "Umm, Taylor didn't really feel like coming down to breakfast today" Gwen informed her, "She just wanted to stay in bed."

"Oh" Rose said, trying to hide her disappointment, but also feeling more relaxed. "I just – I really think I should talk to all of you together."

"I don't think Taylor's really gonna be up for that..." Janey said, exchanging yet another nervous glance with Gwen.

"Oh" Rose repeated. "Well I guess I'll just have to talk to you and then talk to her later or –"

"Look, before you say anything" Gwen interrupted, "last night after you left, Taylor went and locked herself in the bathroom, and me and Janey were talking." She looked at Janey as though asking for permission. Janey nodded with reassurance. "And we decided" she continued, "that we understand."

Rose's eyes widened. "You – you do?"

"You were kinda acting like a snob" Janey piped up, "but haven't we all at least some time? I mean, especially me..."

Rose felt guilty, wanting to reassure Janey that she was a sweet and lovely girl who had never acted spitefully whatsoever in her whole life. But obviously, she couldn't...

"What Janey is trying to say is that, although you went about it in entirely the wrong way and were kind of harsh about the whole thing, we understand why you acted like you did, and we don't really blame you for it, because we know that that isn't who you are."

Rose wanted to cry because of how nice they were being. Gwen continued. "Like Janey said – we've all had our moments. I certainly haven't been spending as much time with you all as I use to do; not now that I'm dating Mason and I'm on the Quidditch team. And Janey's usually, err, with some boy somewhere else. And now that whatever's going on with you and Scorpius, Taylor feels incredibly lonely. It's no secret that she's got a massive crush on Professor Longbottom, and maybe she does feel that nobody will ever love her. What you did was voice her fears, which was extremely cruel and probably at an inconvenient time, but it was the truth – in a sort of sick twisted way..."

"I know" Rose gushed, "and I feel horrible about the whole thing, and I regretted it all as soon as I said it. And you know that wasn't me – I didn't mean any of the things I said. I just, I don't know, in that moment I just wanted to hurt her, because she was hurting me. Which was a terrible, terrible, thing to do, but you have to understand that it was just a moment of weakness, and I am so incredibly sorry for it." She paused for a moment to breathe, and then continued with her apology. "I know I shouldn't have said the things I did – And I really didn't mean to lash out at either of you two. I just wish" she faltered, "I just wish you could forgive me."

She glanced down miserably. "It's ok" Janey said reassuringly. "We've all lost it at some point during the past four years, especially me. We've all said things we regret." Rose noticed the vulnerable regretful look in Janey's eyes. It was amazing how much she'd grown as a person since her first day at Hogwarts. "You've never lost it before. It was just your moment to have a break down."

"And we do forgive you" Gwen told her, "because we know that you regret it, and that you didn't mean any of it like that."

Rose felt she would burst into tears for sure. But she kept it together, to stutter out her thanks. "You guys are the best" she said, rather shakily, "and I really don't deserve you, and I am so very, truly sorry."

"We know" Janey said cheerily.

"And if anything, we don't deserve you" Gwen added. "You've stuck wish us through all are arguing and moaning." They all laughed.

"Anyways" Janey said, with the tone of changing the subject. "We're gonna make it all up to you by throwing you a party!" she squealed.

"A party?" Rose asked in disbelief. "For what?"

For your birthday, duh!" Janey said, rolling her eyes. "It's in a couple of weeks right?"

"Well, err, yeah but, I mean, I wasn't really expecting a party or anything."

Janey was stubborn though. "I don't care – we're throwing you a party and that's final."

"We never had a party for anybody else's birthday" Rose pointed out, searching desperately for anything that would discourage Janey.

"Well mine was over the Christmas holidays" Gwen spoke up, "and Janey's and Taylor's aren't until the summer."

Janey looked smug. "Well that's settled then."Rose still wasn't convinced. "Oh _come on_" Janey moaned, "It'll be amazing! We'll invite all the Gryffindors, and maybe some people from the other houses – you can even invite Scorpius if you want!"

This suggestion only made Rose feel more anxious. "Janey, where exactly are you even going to have this party?"

Finally, she looked slightly discouraged. "I hadn't thought of that..."

"Do you think we'd be allowed to use the Great Hall?" Gwen piped up.

Janey shook her head. "There's no way Bobbin would let us use it for a party – only _princesses_ are allowed birthday parties in the Great Hall" she hissed spitefully. It was safe to say that she still didn't particularly like Evangeline.

"It doesn't matter anyway – I'm telling you, I honestly do not need you to throw me a birthday party – it's not that big of a deal!" Rose protested, but the two were no longer listening to her.

"I'll ask Professor Longbottom" Janey concluded, "If we get him in on it then it'll all be fine. I bet he knows some great places to have a party."

"Just don't let Taylor catch you talking to him" Gwen muttered in a low voice, as though Taylor could hear them from their dorm room. "She'd probably get jealous and possessive..."

Rose's heart lurched at the mention of Taylor's name. She wished that she would forgive her, or that she was here so that Rose could tell her how sorry she was.

"So anyway, what exactly happened to you last night?" Janey asked, clearly remembering back to the topic they'd previously been discussing. She took an enormous bite of her toast, and Rose was so fascinated by how disgusting it looked that she almost forgot to answer.

"I was going to the library" Rose said slowly, carefully choosing her words, "and on my way I ran into Evangeline."

Janey's hand froze as she was lifting her toast to her mouth for another bite, and Rose felt every fibre in her stiffen at the mention of Evangeline's name.

"Why was Evangeline in the library?" Gwen asked, noticing the tension that had just filled the room.

"She wasn't – she was just in the corridor when I was on my way to the library" Rose explained. It seemed simpler to feed them this little white lie than to tell them the truth about how she'd purposefully gone directly to the dungeons. They'd only just forgiven her for wearing a Slytherin scarf at the previous Quidditch match, and thought this would be another blow; merely another reason for them to question her loyalty. "So anyway" Rose continued, "she mentioned that she was going to the Slytherin common room, and she, err, invited me." She gulped.

"And you said _yes_?" Janey asked in disbelief.

"Well yeah, but I only planned on staying for like an hour. I wasn't planning on spending the night there" she said hurriedly. The words sounded worse out loud than they did in her head.

"You stayed the night?" Janey and Gwen asked simultaneously.

"Ok I know it sounds bad, but I was so convinced that you hated me, and I thought it would be better to wait until the morning before I faced you..."

Gwen looked confused. Janey looked furious. "You mean you spent the whole night in the Slytherin common room, with Evangeline of all people!?"

"No!" Rose cried desperately. "Some of the girls had a spare bed which they let me sleep in" she said helplessly.

"And what were they like?" Janey asked spitefully.

"What?"

"Your new Slytherin roommates. What were they like? Were they nice? Were they horrible? Were they better than us!?"

"Janey calm down" Gwen muttered, embarrassed at how loud she was speaking.

"Are you – are you kidding? They were... horrible!" Rose lied frantically. "They only let me stay because, err, Scorpius begged them...And they were so mean – nothing like you guys! Nothing like you at all. Trust me, I would never choose them over you. Not in a million years."

Janey looked satisfied; even a little proud. Rose was disgusted by how many lies she was telling. But what else could she do? Janey was far too fragile to handle the truth. It would completely destroy their friendship if she confessed that the Slytherins were actually incredibly kind people, and even more, she'd _enjoyed_ spending time with them. If she told them the truth then it would only hurt them, and that was something she wasn't willing to do. Although they had their ups and downs, her friendship with Janey, Gwen and Taylor was more valuable than anything.

"Good" Janey mumbled, looking apologetic.

Rose took a large swig of her pumpkin juice. Trying to balance her friendship with them and her relationship with Scorpius was going to be incredible dangerous. She thought of how much damage it had already caused. But she knew deep in her heart that she couldn't live without either of them, so with this determination she vowed to make it work.

She and Scorpius were now official (even if it was only known by the two of them), and she'd succeeded in winning two of her friends back. Now all she had to do was convince Taylor to come around, and James and Sam too if she was lucky. And of course she faced the near impossible task of getting her father to accept her new relationship... It was certainly going to be a challenge.


	33. The Marauders Map

**Chapter 33** **– The Marauders Map**

Rose did all she could to avoid going near the Slytherins as she left the great hall from breakfast. She didn't want to have to face Jinx's taunts, or even worse, have them be friendly to her. This would completely destroy the illusion that she'd created for Janey's benefit – that the Slytherins really were as horrible as the Gryffindors assumed. Even though Janey and Gwen weren't actually with her, she felt it best to take these precautionary steps.

Rose had expressed her desire to go back to the common room alone so that she could approach Taylor by herself. It would be more personal and meaningful like this. And much less embarrassing if Taylor got angry with her.

"Rose!" somebody called as soon as she entered through the portrait hole. It was Albus. "Rose what happened to you last night? I saw you leave but I went to bed before you came back and Gwen said that you never did come back." He looked panic-stricken, but Rose wasn't in the mood to relay her story once more, whether it was the truth or the lie.

"Hey Albus – is Taylor around?" she said, ignoring his questions.

He looked confused. "Well yeah" he said a little awkwardly, "She's there." Rose followed the line of his gaze, and sure enough, Taylor was sat in one of the armchairs. And she looked furious.

With her hands shaking by her side, Rose walked over to her, leaving a puzzled Albus behind her. "Can I talk to you?" she asked nervously, ignoring the few other people who were also in the common room."

"Fine" Taylor said coldly. "Go ahead."

Rose glanced around the room. "Can we maybe talk somewhere a little more private?" she suggested timidly, feeling self-conscious.

"Why?" Taylor demanded sarcastically. "If you're going to say something then I want everybody to hear it. If you can't even do that then it can't be that important."

Rose gulped, hating that Taylor was doing this to her. But Taylor oozed with confidence – she wasn't one for keeping anything in the shadows. Rose needed to prove how much she cared.

"Ok" she began awkwardly, "I'm sorry." She held her breath, waiting for Taylor's reply, but it never came. Rose stared at her worriedly. Taylor showed no sign of emotion at her words. "I – I'm sorry" she repeated, a little louder, just in case she hadn't heard her properly.

More silence.

"Taylor?" Rose was feeling incredibly anxious. "Taylor I'm sorry for what I said to you – I didn't mean a single word of it, and I know you didn't either, so-"

"I meant it" Taylor said quietly.

"You – you meant it?" Rose asked in disbelief, her voice shaking just as much as her hands.

"Yeah" she said coldly, lacking emotion once again. "I meant every single word of what I said. And I don't accept your apology. I don't forgive you."

Everybody else in the room had stopped talking. The atmosphere was exceedingly tense.

"But-" Rose began meekly, completely caught off guard and at a loss for words.

"I can see through all your lies. I see the way you strut around the castle thinking that everybody adores you, and the way you suck up to the teachers. I see the way you play with Sam's affections, constantly leading him on and getting his hopes up, only to crush him and mess around with Scorpius instead. I know you better than you think. I know you better than you know yourself."

"You don't know anything about me" Rose croaked, ignoring the hot surge of tears that were now streaming down her face.

"Fine" Taylor said defiantly. "Then look me in the eyes and tell me that anything I've said in the past 24 hours hasn't been true."

"I – I" Rose sobbed, but she knew she couldn't do it. Because no matter how Taylor phrased everything and made it seem so much worse than it actually was, Rose knew that she was telling the truth. Rose had changed an awful lot, even if she'd never noticed it before. She _had _been messing with Sam, even if it was subconsciously, and she hadn't been completely loyal to anybody.

"That's what I thought" Taylor announced cruelly. She rose from the chair with authority. "Just let me know, once you've figured it out, where you belong. Because I'm not wasting my time with someone who isn't going to put the time in for me." And with that she left, striding across the room and out of the door that Rose had confidently strolled through only moments before, certain that she'd been about to repair her friendship.

The room was blurry and she couldn't make out faces anymore. Hastily Rose wiped away her tears, blinking with suddenly clarity. Albus was stood exactly where she'd left him, with the same confused expression he'd already been wearing. Janey and Gwen were also stood by the portrait hole, looking concerned and sympathetic. Rose wondered how long they' been there; how much of it they'd witnessed. But she didn't have long to dwell on it, because Sam's face suddenly leapt out at her.

He was leaning against the wall at the back of the room, in the shadows. She could see the pain in his expression; the sorrow in his eyes. And a pang of guilt shot through her body, because he too had heard the whole thing, and Taylor had now voiced exactly what he'd feared.

And just like Rose had now realised, he knew it was true too.

"Sam" she sobbed, heading towards him, ready to beg for his forgiveness and express just how sorry she was for doing what she'd been doing. "Sam I'm so sorry – I never realised" she cried, but just like Taylor, he remained completely emotionless.

"Whatever" he mumbled, sorrow swimming in his eyes.

She prepared to do all she could to prevent yet another person from despising her, but she was interrupted by the door swinging open, and James and Mason bursting into the common room, full of excitement. Rose was astonished. She couldn't believe her eyes. It was an absolute miracle – James Potter seemed to be back to his usual self.

He bounded into the room with unbelievable energy and enthusiasm considering the way he'd been acting recently, and his usual dopey grin was plastered on his face. "James?" Rose asked in surprise, completely forgetting about Sam.

"Hey Rosie" he yelled cheerily. "How's it going?"

She simply stood and stared at him were her mouth hanging open, completely astonished. What on Earth could have happened?

"What's going on?" Gwen asked Mason, who was also bursting with excitement.

"I'm back on the team!" James bellowed before Mason could even open his mouth.

"Oh my gosh, are you kidding?" Gwen shrieked in delight.

"Nope" he said proudly.

"I don't understand" Rose said. "I mean, you got banned from the team for the rest of the year..."

"Ahh, but Rose you're forgetting who I am" he told her smugly. For a while he just stood there beaming at her. Rose waited for him to elaborate.

"Well" she said finally, "who exactly are you then that deems you worthy of getting your ban lifted?"

"I am Harry Potter's son" he said simply.

"So?"

"So he's kind of a big deal, which makes me kind of a big deal. And if the man responsible for saving the wizarding world writes a letter to the headmistress demanding that his eldest son be allowed to play on the Quidditch team, then what do you honestly expect the outcome to be?"

"Unbelievable!" she cried. "James you can't do that! Uncle Harry should be ashamed!" She was appalled.

He grinned at her mischievously. "Oh come on Rose, it isn't as bad it seems. My Dad wrote a letter to Bobbin saying that he understood why I'd been banned and what I did was wrong, blah, blah, blah, but that he believed that I would be mature enough to regret my actions and act more appropriately on the pitch in the future." He paused for breath. "Then she talked to me and you _know_ how she adores me really!" Rose rolled her eyes. "So now I'm back on the team and as long as I act responsibly from now on and try harder in lessons then I'm allowed back on the team. Any sign of violent behaviour and I'm off again. I also have several detentions, so all in all not too bad." He high-fived Mason.

"So you're not going to try and kill Scorpius Malfoy again?" she asked a little icily, folding her arms across her chest.

His smile dropped suddenly, forming a serious sort of grimace. "That all depends on if there's a reason I need to."

"Well of course there's not" she said quickly, flinching ever so slightly at the stern stare of his eyes. "I thought you were fine with him and Albus being friends."

"It wasn't Scorpius and Albus' relationship I was thinking of" he said quietly, coldly.

Her heart was beating frantically. There would be a time and place in the future when Rose would confidently stand up to James and proudly inform him that she was in love with Scorpius Malfoy, and he with her, but she knew that it wasn't right then. She didn't think she'd ever see James back to his normal self, and she wasn't going to ruin it. She'd already lost Taylor and Sam after all.

"Well I can't see why anybody else would want to be involved with him" she lied. He looked confused, but slightly reassured.

"Really?" he asked suspiciously.

"Of course! He's err, Slytherin scum after all. Not to mention a _Malfoy_." She was disgusted with the way the words rolled off her tongue, feeling like she was betraying Scorpius exceptionally. But the way James' eyes lit up at her comments reassured her that for now she'd said the right thing. After all, James needn't know how she really felt. That was strictly between her and Scorpius.

"Exactly" he said proudly. "I must admit Rose, for a while I thought you and him had sort of a thing going on!" he laughed loudly, but she noticed the undertones of caution and worry.

"Oh Merlin no!" she cried. "I'd rather hex myself" she jeered with what she hoped was a believable expression of disgust, pleading for Scorpius' forgiveness even though he couldn't hear any part of their conversation.

"Excellent" he said clapping his hands together. "Anyway, I hear your little friends are throwing a massive party for your birthday" he muttered under his breath, leading her away from the others so they couldn't be overheard.

"We're not having a massive party!" she said defensively. "There's no way we'd get away with it, and i don't even want one!"

"Nonsense! You're having a party and it's going to be the best one Hogwarts has ever seen, I promise."

"I don't want your promise" she protested. "I don't want a birthday party at all!"

"Fine" James said defiantly. "You don't have to come but I'm still throwing a party."  
"Who says you're in charge – I thought this was Gwen and Janey's idea."

"Well yeah, but Gwen and Janey would be fine for throwing a party, but everybody knows that I'm the only one who can really throw a _party_."

"James" she said tiredly, "I've no idea what you're on about – that doesn't even make sense."

"Doesn't matter. Believe it or not Rose, this party is happening."

She sighed heavily, raising her hands in defeat. "Fine, whatever, but how exactly do you plan on getting away with this? Surely if Bobbin catches you then you'll be off the team again" she pointed out, certain that Professor Bobbin would never allow a party to be held within Hogwarts.

"Bobbin won't know" he said slyly.

"Oh really? You honestly don't think she'll notice a massive rave happening in the Gryffindor Common Room? Somebody's bound to hear or let slip what's going on."

He laughed patronisingly. "Oh Rose I like you're style, but it's not going to be a rave, and it's not going to be in the Gryffindor Common Room."

She stared at him dumfounded, exceptionally confused as to how this would work. "You mean to tell me you're planning on using the great hall or a classroom or something? Need I remind you that we have a strict curfew at this school? Surely you can see that this is never going to work." She shook her head in disbelief, letting her red curls fall loosely over her shoulders.

"Ok Rose just listen. There's a room, Ok? A room in this school that can transform into anything the user desires. All we have to do is think of a massive soundproof room where no uninvited guests can enter."

She let out a loud snort of derision. "If such a room did exist then more people would know of it. It's a nice idea James, but seriously?" she raised an eyebrow at him with a smirk on her face but he held his ground, getting slightly frustrated with her lack of faith.

"Such a room _does_ exist, and I did not make it up. I overheard my Dad and your Dad talking about it – apparently they used to use it all the time!"

Rose was still not convinced. "Well where exactly is this room then?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, but let me assure you I'm going to find it – think of all the endless possibilities a room like that could have!"

"James I honestly don't think you heard or understood correctly... And even if it was real then how would you find it? This entire castle is full of secrets – I bet if it exists then it's impossible to find."

"Well clearly our parents found it, so why can't we? And I think I know exactly how they did it." He looked down at her smugly. She was instantly suspicious.

"Go on" she prompted, letting curiosity get the better of her.

"With this" he announced proudly, producing a folded piece of parchment from his pocket.

"And how exactly is an old piece of parchment going to help us discover this-"

"Just look at it" he sighed, thrusting it under her nose. Reluctantly she took it from him, opening it up to its full extent.

As she examined the parchment, her eyes widened and she let out a small gasp of surprise and wonder. "James this is incredible!" she breathed, scanning what appeared to be a detailed map of Hogwarts, complete with moving dots labelled with tiny names. "Where on Earth did you get this?"

"Nicked it from Dad's desk drawer" he replied casually. "It was blank when I found it though. Took me ages to unlock its secret, but I knew it couldn't be any old scrappy piece of parchment – he only keeps important stuff in that drawer."

"Your unbelievable" she said for the second time that morning, but she was so completely wonderstruck by the map that she didn't even care how he'd got it. Suddenly she spotted her own name. Sure enough, her dot was next to one labelled 'James Potter' and they were located in a corner of the Gryffindor Tower. She let her eyes roll across the map, spotting Professor Bobbin in her office, and then with a lurch, Scorpius Malfoy. He was in the Slytherin common room in the same spot he'd been in when she'd joined the Slytherins the previous night, not even 24 hours ago. Ebony, Albireo and Jinx were accompanying him. She longed to be there with him.

"Pretty impressive right?" he asked.

"Yeah, this is absolutely incredible! How did Uncle Harry get this? Do you think he made it himself?"

"Nah" James replied. "On the front it says it's the Marauders Map and it's got a list of the creators' names but I don't reckon he had anything to do with it, other than that he owns it."

"Do you think it's dangerous?" she asked warily.

"It's just a map Rose, it isn't going to do any damage" he assured her, prising it from her reluctant hands.

"Yeah I guess" she said dreamily, still amazed by this unbelievable object. "So is this room you were on about on there somewhere?" she asked, remembering exactly what they'd previously been discussing.

"I haven't found it yet but I'm certain it exists. Maybe it's so secretive that the map won't even reveal its hiding place? I can assure you though that I will find this room by your birthday."

"And even if you do, then what?"

"Then we let the entire house of Gryffindor know. Maybe even a couple of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, and Evangeline of course. Maybe I'll even let Albus bring Malfoy... depends how I'm feeling though – I really can't stand that git."

"It's my party" Rose said angrily. "I think it's only right for Albus to have his best friend come along. I don't have a problem with it." There was no way she could leave Scorpius out of it all. He was her boyfriend now after all.

James looked taken aback. "Can I believe my ears?" he teased, "Did Rose Weasley just exclaim that this was in fact _her_ party?"

"Fine, you can throw me a birthday party, but only if you can find this room. And only if I can invite whoever I want" she demanded.

He raised his hands. "That's fine with me." He pocketed the map after tapping it and muttering some kind of brief incantation that Rose couldn't quite make out.

"Just tell me this – how do you plan on getting all of these people to this room without any of the teachers realising or getting suspicious? Somebody will notice if the entire house of Gryffindor is absent..."

"Ahh, just leave that to me Rose" he grinned with a wink.


	34. Enlightening Albus

**Chapter 34 – Enlightening Albus**

Over in the Slytherin common room Scorpius was freaking out. What he and Rose shared was special and he cared deeply for her. He even felt that just maybe he was falling in love with her. But regardless of how they felt, their relationship was dangerous. It was forbidden.

Scorpius could have fallen for any girl in the school, yet it had to have been the one that his parents had ordered him to avoid. It was too late to go back though. He was in too deep.

And despite how confident he'd felt when she'd spent the night in the Slytherin common room previously, and how well she'd got on with his friends, he didn't think announcing that they were a couple would be appreciated or accepted. He definitely couldn't risk letting his Mother find out.

"Daydreaming?" a voice said, causing him to look around in shock.

"No" he muttered, relaxing slightly as he recognised Ebony's familiar face. "Just... thinking" he said hesitantly.

"About Rose?" she asked slyly, perching on the arm of the armchair he was sat in.

He blushed deeply. "Not exactly" he mumbled, embarrassed that it was so obvious.

"You can tell me" Ebony said sweetly, but Scorpius only felt patronised. "So you said that she had a boyfriend" Ebony prompted. "Does that boyfriend happen to be you by any chance?"

Scorpius stiffened in his chair. He didn't know anybody as sweet and friendly as Ebony, but yet he felt he could not trust her. "No" he said after a while. "No I'm not."

Ebony looked confused. "Well you seem awfully close..."

"I'm friends with her cousin" he said sharply.

"Albus Potter right?"

"Yes, that's right. I met her through him. She's nice but" he hesitated slightly, "she's not for me."

"Well that's a shame" Ebony replied, "Because you seem to get on well. She seemed nice."

Scorpius immediately regretted not telling Ebony the truth. There was nobody as genuine as her, and she seemed as though she actually liked Rose.

"Well actually" Scorpius piped up, deciding in that moment to tell her the truth.

"It's probably for the best" Ebony interrupted.

Scorpius sat up sharply. "What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

She looked embarrassed. "Well you know what everybody thinks about the Weasley's..."

"Not exactly" he lied. "Do enlighten me" he ordered bitterly.

Ebony narrowed her eyes at him. "Scorpius it's not that I have a problem with her, but you're very much aware of what some people in this house think of her and her family, and you're lying if you pretend otherwise. My Mother's good friends of your Mother and from what I've heard, your family is especially intolerant of the Weasley's or the Potter's."

"I don't care what you've heard" he muttered angrily, "Not everything you hear is true."

She rose from the chair huffily. "I'm not your enemy Scorpius. I don't have a problem with Rose or any of her family, but you need to be careful, and I can't stress this enough."

"I can take care of myself Ebony" he hissed.

"Don't turn on me Scorpius, I'm just trying to help."

"I can take care of myself" he repeated.

"You're playing a dangerous game" she warned. "Be careful. Don't get carried away." And with a toss of her coal black hair, she strode away from him.

Scorpius knew she meant no harm, but he was tired of people telling him what he could and couldn't do, and who he could or couldn't be friends with. He remembered back to when he'd first become friends with Albus. He'd received hell both from his family and from his fellow Slytherins. They seemed tolerant of Rose, but he felt like he could trust no-one. He felt bad for arguing with Ebony. She at least seemed to understand the dangers of their relationship, and she was a genuinely nice person. She seemed as though she merely wanted to protect him, and he couldn't blame her for that.

He vowed to make amends with her, but for now he just wanted to spend time with Albus. After everything that had been going on with Rose, he'd barely had any time for his best friend. He left the Slytherin common room in search of him. He knew better than to go to the Gryffindor tower, but it was his biggest chance of finding him. He pleaded in his mind that he wouldn't encounter James or one of his friends.

Remarkably enough, the two crossed paths. "Al!" Scorpius cried, his eyes lighting up as he recognised his best friend in one of the corridors. "Where are you going?"

"Scorpius!" Albus exclaimed, blinking in surprise. "I was just on my way to find you, actually" he explained in disbelief.

Scorpius chuckled. "Same for me actually. Though that was much easier than I thought it would be." The two began to walk side by side down the corridor. "So how have you been?" he asked a little awkwardly.

Albus blushed. "Oh, you know, alright I guess. How were the holidays?"

Scorpius shrugged. "Alright I suppose." The two walked in uncomfortable silence. It used to be so much easier. Conversation used to flow between the two of them, but everything was different now.

"You're ok with me and Rose, right?" Scorpius blurted out suddenly, at precisely the exact time that Albus said "James is back on the team."

"What?" Albus asked quickly.

"James is back on the team?" Scorpius gushed, ignoring Albus' question. "That's great! Well maybe not for me, but for the team at least."

"Well yeah, but what did you mean when you said –"

"You must all be really excited!"

"We are, but what's going on with Rose and –"

"This is fantastic news!" Scorpius bellowed frantically.

"Scorpius!" Albus yelled irritably.

Scorpius fell silent immediately. Now was the time for the truth to out. It was his fault anyway. He was the one who brought it up after all.

"What did you mean when you asked if I was alright with you and Rose?" he asked quietly.

"I just meant, now that we're you know..." he trailed off embarrassed. Albus looked dazed, remaining completely oblivious. "Has – has Rose said anything to you?" Scorpius asked nervously.

"About what?" Albus asked suspiciously. "I haven't talked to her much. She's was busy trying to make up with her friends and with Sam –"

Scorpius flinched at the mention of Sam's name.

"– And then James pulled her aside to talk about this ridiculous party that they're all planning."

"Party?" Scorpius interrupted. "Rose is having a party?"

"Well not exactly" Albus explained. "James, Gwen and Janey are supposedly throwing her a party, but I don't think she actually wants one."

"Why are they throwing her a party?"

Albus stopped walking, and turned to stare at Scorpius as though he were an idiot. "It's her birthday in a couple of weeks."

Scorpius froze. "You're kidding, right?" he asked in a panic.

"Umm no..."

"You mean to tell me that it's Rose Weasley's birthday a couple of weeks from this very date?" he demanded frantically.

"Yeah – May 5th, but why exactly are you so worried about that?"

"I'm the worst boyfriend ever" Scorpius groaned to himself.

Albus looked at him sharply. "Boyfriend?" he breathed, almost like a whisper.

Scorpius gulped, realising what he'd just said... what he'd just revealed. "Albus you can't tell anybody" he pleaded frantically.

"Boyfriend?" Albus asked louder, contemplating this word and what it meant.

"Al, please" he begged.

"As in, like, you and Rose are, _dating_?"

"Yes" he said hurriedly, "but please, _please_, you've got to a keep it a secret. Do you understand?"

"Understand?" Albus repeated.

"I was going to tell you Al, I swear. That's why I came looking for you. It's only been official for about a day, but nobody must know apart from you."

"But – why?"

"Because you know how much James hates me and how much our families and houses hate each other. Your brother would kill me, and so would her Dad. My Mother would disinherit me and the Slytherins would all loathe me."

"No" Albus said slowly. "Why – why are you _dating_?"

Scorpius began to relax. Thinking about Rose made his heart flutter and his stomach fill with butterflies. "Because I – I really like her" he explained. "I feel about her, how you feel about Evangeline."

Albus' eyes widened at this remark. "Really?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yeah" he said, turning bright red. "She means everything to me."

"But she's my cousin..."

"I know – and if I thought it would affect our friendship then I would leave her alone, but I know how understanding you are."

"You only met her at the ball" he pointed out. Scorpius gulped. There was no way he could tell Albus about the forgetfulness potion. At least not today. He was still in shock.

"True..." he said slowly, choosing his words carefully. "But do you remember the first time you saw Evangeline?"

Albus nodded dopily.

"Well it was like that. When we danced at the ball, it was just simply amazing" he reminisced affectionately. "And we got closer during that detention we had, and during the train journey here." He deliberately avoided telling him about the late night Quidditch pitch moment, or the reason that they'd both gotten detention.

"But I was with you on the journey" Albus pointed out. "And you were – you were a couple?" he stuttered.

"No" Scorpius said quickly. "Later that night though – that's when we made it official."

Albus didn't speak for a while, letting everything sink in. Finally he said, "Well, I suppose I should have seen this coming, shouldn't I?"

Scorpius ignored his question. "Are we – are we alright, Al? You don't hate me do you?" he asked warily.

"I'm not James" Albus pointed out. "I'm your best friend Scorpius. If she makes you happy then that's fine with me. I'm not going to come between you, but it might take a little while to get used to."

"That's fine!" Scorpius exclaimed. "And it'll be easy" he assured him, "nothing will change. We'll simply keep pretending that's nothing going on, and I'm not going to ditch you to be with her, if that's something you're worried about."

"No it's fine. I enjoyed it when it was just the three of us on the train. It was nice."

"Exactly – we can all hang out together!"

"And I suppose I'd prefer it that you were dating Rose than somebody else, or that she was dating somebody that I didn't know."

"Yes!" Scorpius cried in excitement, delighted that Albus seemed to be taking it well. "This is a good thing, Albus. Trust me."

"I do" Albus said seriously. "I think this could work..."

Scorpius was relieved. "I will make this all up to you Al, I swear. I'll put in a good word with Evangeline about you, if you want."

Albus' eyes lit up. "Thanks" he mumbled bashfully.

"So can I ask you a favour?" Scorpius asked, as the two began to continue their walk down the corridor.

"Sure."

"What in Merlin's name am I supposed to get her for her birthday!?"

Albus laughed. "Something meaningful" he said thoughtfully. "Something that will last, and that she'll treasure forever."

"What kind of things does she like?" he prompted.

"Books."

"Do you think I should get her a book?"

Albus contemplated it. "No..." he said finally. "It's not personal enough."

"Then what?" Scorpius asked, beginning to panic even more. "Jewellery or something?"

"I'll tell you what - I'll do some investigating. I'll ask Gwen or Janey and try and find out what kind of things she likes, and then I'll let you know."

"You're the best!" Scorpius exclaimed, slapping Albus on the back. He seemed pleased with himself.

For the first time in a while, everything seemed to be working out perfectly. As long as he had Rose and Albus, Scorpius was fairly certain that nothing could go wrong. For a moment at least, everyhting was going great.


	35. The Whomping Willow

**Chapter 35 – The Whomping Willow**

The next day was difficult. Rose had been forced to endure the painful silence and frequent glares from Taylor as she returned to her own dorm room the previous night. Neither spoke a word, although Rose often looked at her longingly, trying to send some kind of pleading message for forgiveness. Taylor only glared harder. And Janey and Gwen were caught in the middle, neither wanting to interfere, and neither wanting to take sides.

This was a great problem in itself. Taylor refused to spend any time with Rose, trying to put as much distance between them as possible at all times. She sat at the opposite end of the Gryffindor table at breakfast and lunch, after having left their room immediately without a single word, and had arranged to sit at other tables, at least when the professors allowed it, during the lessons they shared. Gwen and Janey were torn. Taylor had no other friends other than the Gryffin-Girls, yet she was so much more hostile than Rose. And while Rose had many other students she could spend time with and was very popular, they felt like they couldn't abandon her either. The obvious answer was to split between the two and then swap every now and again, but this then meant that only two people could spend time together, and Gwen and Janey would never get to be together. It certainly was a dilemma.

Meanwhile Scorpius was preoccupied; worrying about having revealed his secret relationship to Albus, and also about what he could possibly get Rose for her birthday. And of course now that they were a couple, their relationships had entered a whole new stage of difficulty. They needed to spend time together, but how could they possibly achieve this? It was known to nobody other than themselves and Albus that they were in a relationship, and if anybody caught on and their secret was out, all hell would break out. He didn't trust the Slytherins. He didn't consider them 'friends' as such – Albus was the only one he knew he could really trust. Besides Rose of course, but she was so much more than a friend. Slytherins were sly. They were cunning. They were often deceptive, no matter how friendly they appeared. Besides, many of them had parents who were close to his own parents, and gossip occurred frequently. This would be big news between people like that. A Malfoy and a Weasley. And other than their houses, Scorpius daren't even consider what would happen between his family and Rose's family if they were to find out.

It would be near on impossible to spend time with her at school. There was one way though...

After their brief break from lessons, as they had returned from the holidays on a weekend, all classes were back on schedule. And last of the day was Potions. One of the only lessons which Rose and Scorpius shared, due to Scorpius taking careful measures so as to avoid her in earlier years. How he regretted it now...

"Rose" he murmured to her back as he joined the queue outside the potions classroom, instantly recognising her vibrant red curls.

She whipped around excitedly, recognising his voice. "Scorpius" she breathed in delight.

"Try to act casual" he warned, not wanting to draw any attention to their interaction.

"Oh, right" she muttered, blushing deeply and turning around so her back was to him.

Thankfully Taylor, Gwen and Janey were all at the front of the huddle, completely out of earshot. "You can sit next to me" she said, trying to move her lips as little as possible. "Taylor certainly won't be so it'll be free, and I don't think it will look too suspicious" she informed him with hope.

"I have a better idea" he replied.

She tried not to act disappointed. Did he not want to sit with her? "Albus could move too" she added, "if you think it will look strange otherwise."

"Just wait for a moment" he whispered. "Let everybody else go in first."

Rose focused hard on not turning around and raising an eyebrow at him. What was he planning? But she didn't push it. She waited. She realised that maybe having Scorpius sit next to her wouldn't be such a good idea anyway. How would it look to Taylor if the moment she moved desks, Scorpius came and replaced her? It would look an awful lot like Rose didn't value her friendship in the slightest, replacing her as soon as she could. That was definitely not the message Rose wanted to give her.

"Alright class, in you go – We're beginning with antidotes today" Professor Pocknoll announced cheerily, bustling past the gathered students.

"Finally!" Rose exclaimed to nobody in particular, "I've done so much research on antidotes already" she explained eagerly, though nobody other than Scorpius was listening.

"Rose" he muttered loudly as she very nearly got caught up with the moving crowd.

"Oh sorry" she apologised to him, remembering his request that they enter last. "Make it quick" she said, staring longingly into the classroom as the last few students trickled in. "I don't want all the best ingredients to be taken first" she said worriedly.

"We're not making antidotes" Scorpius said a little annoyed.

"Of course we are" Rose protested, "didn't you hear what professor Pocknoll –"

"I mean _we're_ not" he said, pointing at himself and at her.

She frowned. "I don't understand."

"I want to take you somewhere."

"Now?" she yelped in panic.

He looked around nervously. "Keep your voice down" he warned. "And yes I mean now – let's go." He tugged on her hand, pulling her away from the classroom. She stood her ground, watching him in disbelief.

"I'm not skipping class" she hissed, wrenching her hand from his grasp.

"But you did before" he pointed out, trying not to seem upset.

"We got detention!" she reminded him furiously.

"Rose it's now or never – besides, we'll look incredibly suspicious walking in so much after everybody else."

"No more suspicious that wandering about the castle!"

"It's not the castle I want to show you." He was desperate now, pleading with her and tugging on her hand again. "We have to go now or Pocknoll will look for us and we won't have a chance.

Rose considered the situation.

"Albus will cover for us – you know he will. Rose _please_" he begged. "We'll never get to spend time alone otherwise. And I promise I'll never make you skip class again."

How could she possibly say no to him? The desperation in his eyes and the romance of the situation was too much for her to refuse.

"Just once?" she asked sceptically.

"Just once – I promise!"

She rolled her eyes, appalled but also intrigued by how reckless she could be when in his company. "Only for you" she said, finally giving in.

"Brilliant!" he exclaimed, eyes wide with excitement and a huge grin on his face. And so with her consent, he pulled on her hand and the two forbidden lovers ran through the castle, never looking back towards the classroom they'd just fled.

Rose's heart was pounding with adrenaline, recklessness, her love for Scorpius, and the terrifying knowledge that if they were caught they'd be in serious trouble. "Where are we going?" she giggled as they burst through the castle doors.

"You'll see" he called back. All of a sudden he pulled her towards the castle wall so they had their backs pressed to the cold stone. "We have to be sly" he explained. "We can't risk being out in the open – it's too likely that somebody will look out a window and see us.

"Words of experience" she teased him.

"I'll have you know that the only time I've ever skipped a class was with you!"

Following his lead, Rose followed Scorpius as he led her along the castle wall, then dragging her behind various trees, bushes and large rocks that offered them shelter from possible prying eyes from within Hogwarts.

"Is it much further?" Rose asked. She was in great pain from hunching over behind various obstacles.

"It's just around this corner" he said with a grin. "But I'm going to need you to close your eyes."

"Why?" she asked him suspiciously.

But she didn't get an answer. Instead she got Scorpius' hands clamped over her eyes as he steered her towards whatever mysterious thing it was that they'd skipped class to see. "Ok" he announced, "I'm going to move my hands now."

"Stop teasing me!" she joked. He laughed along with her. Then, with great excitement he removed his hands from her eyes, allowing her to take in her surroundings.

Rose couldn't help but let out a yelp as she realised what she was looking at. "That's – That's the Whomping Willow!" she stuttered in shock, staring up at the magnificent but deadly tree. It swayed in the cool spring breeze, but Rose understood that if they took just another step closer to it, it would flail its branches around furiously in an attempt to thrash them to pieces. Right now it looked completely harmless, yet it was a deceivably dangerous tree. What in Merlin's name did Scorpius want to show her this brutal work of nature for?

"It sure is" he said proudly.

"I don't understand... why are we here?"

He flashed her a grin, clearly bursting with excitement. He took a step to the side, surveying the tree carefully so as not to disturb it. Rose watched his movements suspiciously, awaiting an answer.

Finally he spoke. "I thought we needed to do something big to make our relationship official" he explained.

Rose blushed immediately. Scorpius had acknowledged they were a couple – it was all so real. It wasn't just a dream. But a lack of understanding clouded her mind. "How exactly does this involve the whomping willow?" she asked him sceptically. What could this vicious tree possibly signify when it came to their relationship?

"It's something I learnt that muggles do." He continued circling the tree, talking and walking slowly, clearly deep in thought, just waiting for the right moment...

"What do you mean?" she asked, following him as he moved.

Finally he stopped still. It was all very mysterious, Rose thought. He turned his head to look at her. There was that same mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Watch my back" he ordered. And before Rose could so much as process what he'd just told her, Scorpius flung himself towards the trunk of the tree, pulling out his wand as he ran. The Whomping Willow noticed the disturbance immediately, and now that Scorpius was close enough for contact, with a great heave it began to raise its branches, thrashing about to fend off the unwanted trespasser.

All Rose could do was scream. This was madness, complete madness! What on Earth was he attempting to do? How could this possibly officiate their relationship? What did this have to do with muggles? Without thinking, she darted in behind him, determined to pull him back to safety. A large branch came sweeping down towards her, colliding with her shins before she could react. Rose let out a loud groan of pain as the impact left her stinging.

"Rose!" Scorpius bellowed in disbelief, realising that she'd entered the violent zone. "It's not safe – go back!"

"Not without you" she cried. She stumbled towards him, barely dodging the tree's attacks as she did so. He was dashing around the tree, avoiding the incoming branches spectacularly while at the same time raising his wand and shooting spells towards the Willow's trunk. With a triumphant cry, he crashed into Rose just as another branch was swinging towards her, certain to send her crumpling to the ground.

The two rolled in unison, barely out of harm's way. Once Scorpius was certain they were safe, he released Rose and slumped onto his back next to her. Their chests rose and fell as they struggled to regain their regular breathing patterns. Mud and scars were visible all over their arms and faces, and Rose's shins were still throbbing in agony.

"What the _hell_ was that all about!?" Rose demanded furiously once she'd caught her breath. She turned to look at Scorpius with fury, but he looked so adorably innocent that her expression seemed to melt.

"Let me show you" he offered, rising to his feet, pocketing his wand as he did so. He offered her a mud-streaked hand. She took it gratefully, wincing with pain as he pulled her to her feet as well. Wrapping an arm around her waist, Scorpius led Rose to the other side of the Whomping Willow, making sure to keep them both at a safe distance.

And immediately Rose saw it. Right in the centre of the Willow's trunk were four words engraved into the wood, shining as bright and vivid as fire. _Rose and Scorpius Forever._ It was too cliché, too sappy, and definitely not worth all the pain and trouble they'd gone through to achieve it. Yet Rose couldn't help but adore Scorpius even more. "It's perfect" she breathed softly, leaning into him as he wrapped his arm around her tighter.

He buried his head into her hair, breathing in the deep earthy smell from when they'd been lying on the ground. And then he kissed her, softly, passionately.

Rose realised that this was only the second kiss they'd shared, and the first one since they'd become an official couple. But the way their lips so perfectly aligned made it seem like they'd shared a thousand kisses before.

Then Scorpius pulled away, his eyes wide in horror, his skin as white as a ghost. "Rose" he said warily, watching the dark figure emerge from the castle and make its way in their direction. "Bobbin's coming".


	36. Back to Bobbin's Office

**Chapter 36 – Back to Bobbin's Office**

Rose was focusing all her energy into remaining calm and controlling her breathing pattern as she sat in Bobbin's empty office; empty in the sense that Rose was the only other being in the room, rather than empty of all the intriguing equipment and furniture that lined the floor and shelves.

_This was it_. Certain expulsion. Not only had she and Scorpius skipped a compulsory lesson, for the second time in a brief period, they had also defaced school property. Sure, it was only a tree, but it was magical and enchanted, and who knows how it important it was. They wouldn't put such a magical and dangerous tree on school grounds unless there was a valid reason. And of course Rose hadn't actually touched the tree, it had all been Scorpius, but she would die defending him if she had to. Not that death was an outcome to the situation, oh no, it would be something far worse – expulsion from Hogwarts.

Rose recalled the terror she'd experienced no more than ten minutes ago, after Scorpius had warned her of the approaching headmistress. She'd been rooted to the spot, clinging to Scorpius' hand for reassurance. They didn't speak a word as Bobbin strode across the grounds. There had been no point in running, they'd been caught red handed.

She'd come to a stop a couple of metres from the terrified couple, with a fixed expression on her face that was too hard to read. Was she angry? Disappointed? "Come with me," was all that she'd said to them. And the two of them had wordlessly followed her back to the castle, dropping hands immediately. Neither looked at the other. Neither spoke a word. What was the point?

And now there Rose was. Sat in the same chair she'd sat in during her previous visit to the headmistress' office only a few weeks ago. Her parents would be so disappointed with her. Trying to ignore all these thoughts and emotions, she began to scan the desk in detail. She studied the delicate markings on a pocket watch, and the flecks of different colours within a quill that lay there. An unopened letter caught her eye. It lay face down, revealing an unbroken, blood red seal with the letters _E.S _stamped into it. She began to ponder who _E.S _could be.

Just then, the door swung open and the headmistress walked in, looking more intimidating than Rose had ever noticed. For a while, she stood behind the desk, surveying Rose down her nose. After what felt like minutes, her expression melted into one of exhaustion and she sighed loudly, clearly exasperated. "Oh, Rose."

Rose gulped involuntarily, ready to beg of her forgiveness and give the speech she'd been working on in her mind. "I'm so sorry, Professor" she squeaked.

Bobbin slumped down into her chair, her thick black hair falling over her face. She looked more dishevelled than Rose had ever seen her, but still the beauty shone through. Rose wondered if she was naturally beautiful of if she used some kind of potion or charm to keep herself looking young and fresh.

"Scorpius told me everything."

Rose bowed her head in shame and addressed her lap. "I don't know why we did it." The whole speech she'd planned had been completely ruined. Her lower lip was trembling far too much to give a convincing apology.

"I do," Professor Bobbin said seriously.

Rose looked up in surprise. It had been a rhetorical statement – what did Professor Bobbin mean when she said she knew why they'd done it?

"People do all kinds of crazy things when they're in love" Bobbin went on to say when Rose made no response.

Rose breathed in so quickly in shock that she almost began to choke. "I – I – I" she stuttered, so completely confused at what to say. Had Professor Bobbin, her headmistress, really just implied that she was in love with Scorpius? Or Scorpius was in love with her, or that the two shared a mutual love for each other? Rose knew her feelings for Scorpius were incredibly strong and intense, but they'd only been dating for a few days, surely it was too soon to declare they were in love!

Rose had already decided that of course she felt some form of love for Scorpius, but was she really _in love_ with him just yet? It seemed too early to be thinking quite like that. Words still refused to form in her mouth though. Why on Earth would Bobbin say that? Was it something Scorpius had said to her? Had he confessed he was in love? There were far too many questions running through her mind.

"I – I don't – " Rose mumbled, dropping her eye line to her lap again, desperately trying to ignore the heat she felt radiating from her reddened cheeks.

Bobbin looked at her almost endearingly, chuckling slightly at Rose's bashfulness. "I won't pry on your personal life, Rose – that would be terribly rude. But I'd rather appreciate it if the two of you could attend my lessons." She spoke softly but sternly.

"Yes, yes of course, Professor" Rose replied quickly. "It will never happen again, I swear!" She looked the headmistress straight in the eyes as she said this, determined to plead as much as she could to avoid getting expelled.

"You'll get detention" Bobbin went on rather casually. Rose gulped again, but nodded eagerly in agreement.

"Anything's better than expulsion" she thought aloud, before clamping her hand firmly over her mouth – that was supposed to have stayed in her head.

Bobbin looked amused. "Rose, honestly, what kind of school do you think I'm running?"

Rose wasn't sure how to respond. Had that been a rhetorical question, or was she expecting an answer?

"It certainly isn't one where you get kicked out for engraving your name into a magic tree," Bobbin explained in response. Rose began to relax. "Your cousin James has done far worse things, that are far more worthy of expulsion, yet he remains here, and so will you and Scorpius."

Rose was so relieved that she felt like laughing, or singing, or punching her fist into the air with delight.

"Trust me, the Whomping Willow has seen far worse damage in the past – most of it inflicted by your father."

Rose's eyes widened. "What do you mean? Professor" she added quickly.

There was a look of great amusement and delight on Bobbin's face. "It was on my very first day at Hogwarts, just after the sorting I believe. Your father at a mere 12 years old, with your uncle Harry as a passenger, flew an enchanted Ford Anglia into the Whomping Willow after they both missed the Hogwarts Express."

"Really!?" Rose asked in disbelief. Of all the wild stories she'd heard of her parents, aunts and uncles' adventures and time at Hogwarts, she'd never heard of this one. "He flew a car into the Whomping Willow?"

Bobbin nodded joyfully. "The whole school was talking about it – they very nearly got expelled themselves! It doesn't really seem fair to expel you for writing a harmless message on the tree's trunk when your very own father crashed a car into it and was let off."

"Thank you so much" Rose gushed, extremely grateful, but also rather intrigued by this unexpected discovery. Her younger brother Hugo was also 12, and it was hard to imagine him doing anything as reckless as their parents apparently had.

"I must warn you though Rose" Bobbin said seriously, leaning in to look Rose in the eye. "That tree is no joke, and it is incredibly dangerous – if you try to get near it again it could be fatal. You were very fortunate today."

Rose couldn't help but wonder what such a lethal tree was doing in the grounds of Hogwarts. As if reading her mind Bobbin said, "That tree has been here far longer than I have, and even I don't know its origins or purpose. There's been a long standing rumour that it was planted to keep out Werewolves."

Rose began to wonder how a tree could possibly keep out a werewolf. Bobbin continued. "If you ever sneak out again, and I am in no way encouraging you or condoning this behaviour, then I suggest you don't disrupt the tree – I could see it thrashing around from my office window. It isn't particularly subtle..." Her tone was serious, but there was laughter in her eyes, and Rose knew that Professor Bobbin wasn't angry with her.

"I promise we won't ever do anything like this again" Rose vowed.

"Good." Professor Bobbin leant back in her chair proudly; looking much more relaxed than when she'd first entered the office. "Most couples don't go to such extremes to celebrate their relationship. I'd be more content with you throwing a massive party within the castle rather than endangering yourselves and skipping classes. Not that I'm allowing you to throw a party" she added.

Before Rose could even begin to wonder if Bobbin knew of the party that James, Janey and Gwen were planning, she immediately said "Me and Scorpius aren't a couple." She felt flustered, feeling her cheeks redden once again. It would be best if nobody knew of their relationship, even if it meant lying to the headmistress.

"Is that so?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "Well Scorpius told me differently, but it is of course none of my business, and I will not dwell on it or repeat any information that may or may not be true."

Had professor Bobbin just promised to keep their relationship a secret? Rose was too confused and too embarrassed to ask. "To conclude" Bobbin announced as though no mention of Rose and Scorpius' relationship had been made, "you and Scorpius will both attend a detention, and I will be contacting your parents."

"My parents?" Rose yelped.

"I have to, Rose – it's Hogwarts policy" Bobbin explained somewhat apologetically. "They need not know that you were with Scorpius or even what you were doing. But for your safety they must be informed that you were wounded by the Whomping Willow in an incident that has since been resolved."

Rose began to panic internally. She knew her Mother would be disappointed, but she was more worried about her Father's reaction. If he only knew that Scorpius Malfoy had convinced her to skip potions class, to engrave the trunk of the Whomping Willow with a message to officiate their new relationship, well, she didn't even want to know...

But had Bobbin sensed this? She certainly seemed to be implying that she was aware that her parents would go crazy if they knew the full truth. But why would she go to such lengths to hide their relationship? Something just didn't make sense.

"I wasn't wounded by the tree" she said instead.

"Well you winced and limped the whole way up to my office, and I'll have you looked over in the hospital wing."

Rose scowled.

"I also don't think it necessary to mention the previous time you decided to skip class and go for a little stroll around the lake, or that you spent the night in one of the Slytherin dorm rooms the other night..."

Rose knew she'd been defeated. Bobbin had too much to reveal to her parents for Rose to be arguing with her. When she thought about it, she was getting off very lightly indeed. "Thank you Professor" she managed to say.

Bobbin looked pleased. "I'm glad you're complying. You may go, Rose" she said dismissively. "Don't let this happen again, and make sure you go straight to the Hospital Wing."

Rose nodded, rising to her feet. Immediately the pain shot up through both her shins. Gritting her teeth, she pushed the pain aside and walked to the door as calmly as possible. As she walked out the office, the last thing she saw was Professor Bobbin opening the letter that had been on her desk, a combined expression of both anger and worry on her beautiful but exhausted face.


End file.
